By the Ring That Binds Us
by Kuro Tsuki Tenshi
Summary: My next story to the Telling Dad and Feel What He Feels stories. Yay! Bakura finally lets his past rest, or so he thinks as he learns to control himself and Ryou learns to trust his once abusive yami. this one is going to be long^_^ (i hope)
1. Your Choice

DISCLAIMER: Nope don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Probably never will. Damn you media!

KTT: *bounces up and down*Reviews! Chocolate! Six pack of Pepsi! *Glomps Ryou and Bakura* Ryou and Bakura, Back home in the AC from vacation! AC!!!!

Ryou: *gasps for air* She's hyper again.

Bakura: I noticed. What did you do?

Ryou: I didn't do anything.

Bakura: *punches Ryou in the face*

Ryou: Owww what was that for!?

Bakura: Disagreeing with me.

Ryou: *punches Bakura in the nose*

Bakura: *gets a nosebleed* Crap now look what you did!

Ryou: You hit me first!

KTT: *stops bouncing* Blood! Blood, blood, blood!

Bakura: Stay away from me kuyketsuki!

Ryou: *smirks*Have fun.

KTT: *chases after Bakura*

Ryou: Ohayo audience! Ya caught us at a bad time...anyway this is Tsuki-chan's follow up to the stories Telling Dad and Feel What He Feels, so if you haven't read those then ya wont understand so just go get those outta the way first. Moving on well ok so Bakura is a bit OOC but oh well, as Tsuki says if ya don't like it then shoo, and yes Bakura did leave the ring at my house, it has plot purposes. Hope you enjoy it and don't forget to review *whispers* She likes reviews, they keep her ego boosted ^_^. Would you two stop!

KTT: Blood!

Bakura: *grabs Tsuki's shovel and slams her in the head* There problem solved.

Ryou: Now you've done it.

KTT: *Blink blink. Cries* You hit me with my own shovel!

Bakura: Ra I made her cry.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura sat beside the bed, watching his hikari. Ryou whimpered, shifting in his sleep.

"You tried to kill yourself to be rid of me. You really do hate me don't you? Yami's right, you're already changing. But instead of turning into someone like me you'd rather kill yourself." He reached forward brushing Ryou's bangs out of his eyes. " Am I really that cruel to you?"

"Yes you are."

Bakura turned, looking in the direction from where Yami's voice came.

"You don't have to rub it in Pharaoh."

"How is he?"

"Still unconscious. He's not as pale as he was earlier."

"Have you been thinking about what I said?"

"...."

"Bakura?"

"Hai."

"And?"

"Look Pharaoh, I said I've been thinking about it! You've done your emotional damage for one day!"

"Look Tomb Raider, I'm not trying to be high and mighty here, I'm just as worried about him as you are."

"Would you two quit fighting and let Ryou rest! I can hear you all the way downstairs"

"Gomen aibou."

"Gomen..."

Blink blink. 

" Did you just say gomen?" Yami gave a slight chuckle at his hikari's shocked expression.

"Hai I did. Now get over it."

"I didn't have a problem with it I just-"

Ryou moaned, turning over in bed, drawing everyone's attention. He brought his hand up to his eyes, shading them from the light next to the bed.

"Where am I? I'm not supposed to be alive."

"Don't say that."

Ryou instantly drew back in fear at the sound of his yami's voice, trying to put as much space between them. Bakura drew his hand back, standing up, and heading for the door.   
"Bakura."

"I'm going out. Don't follow me Pharaoh." 

Ryou and Yugi jumped as Bakura slammed the door, creating an awkward silence between the three. Yami shifted his weight, the silence starting to get to him.   
"Ummm aibou, you watch Ryou, I'll go make you something to eat." Yugi turned, closing the door after Yami then facing back to Ryou.

"So why 'd you do it?"  
"Why'd you save me?"

"I didn't."  
"Then who? Yami?"

"No. Bakura did."

"Bakura? As in Yami Bakura? My yami?"

"Hai."

"But why he hates me, he would never save me from death, he'd welcome it, and it would get me out of his hair. He'd just be upset that he didn't do it himself."  
"Don't say that about him Ryou, he's changed."  
"That bastard would never change."

*************************************

Bakura walked down the street, letting his feet take him where they wanted, and they wanted to go to Ryou's. He took a breath, pushed open the front door and walked in, shutting the door quietly behind him. He looked down to the floor, following the blood trail up the stairs and into Ryou's room. Bakura leaned against the doorway, surveying the room. He looked down at the edge of Ryou's bed, noticing the glint of the Millennium Ring lying on the blood dampened carpet.

__

My Ring. How could I have forgotten it? My soul is bound to this damn thing and I forgot it, and left it unprotected. I never let it out of my sight. Is Ryou, really that important to me?

Bakura pushed himself off the doorframe, walking over to the Ring and picked it up. He walked into the bathroom, noticing the pill bottles and glass. He turned on the water, letting it run over the Ring, washing away the blood, then drying it on his shirt.

__

I'll let him decide.

*************************************

Yugi sat on the bed next to Ryou, silently eating his sandwich.

"Aren't you gonna eat?"

"I'm not hungry right now."  
"You should. You need to get you're strength back up."

Ryou looked over to Yami, who was leaning on Yugi's desk.

"Did Bakura really bring me here?"

"Hai Ryou. About five hours ago maybe. Like aibou said, he's changed."  
"How?"  
"I believe that would be better understood if he told you himself. I know why but being the Pharaoh back in Egypt it's hard for me to really understand his situation myself."

"Oh."  
Everyone's attention was brought to the door as it slowly opened and Bakura stepped in.

"Yami, Yugi can I talk to Ryou...alone?"

"Come on hikari lets leave them be."  
"Arigato..."  
"Be good Bakura."

Ryou immediately dropped his eyes to the floor, avoiding Bakura's gaze, as the others left the room. Bakura walked slowly over to his frightened hikari, and dangled the Ring down in front of him.

"Do you still want this?"

"Huh?"  
"I'm asking you if you still want this."  
"Why are you asking? Why not just force me to take it?"

"You tried to kill yourself to get rid of me. Well now here's your chance."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KTT: What will Ryou say? What will happen to Bakura? Did Yugi eat Ryou's sandwich? How and when did Yami learn to make sandwiches? Mwahahahahaha *points to man hanging off of cliff* Ya like him?

Bakura: Iie.

Ryou: Hai

Yami: You're a bit into this..

Yugi: *hides behind Yami* right someone has had a little too much caffeine.

Bakura: I don't want to go back to the ring.

KTT: I didn't say if you were or not. Sides he won't fall. *Little man falls off* oops.

Ryou: I wonder if that's a sign of things to come.

Yami: Ha! Tomb Raider is gonna get locked back into the Ring!

KTT: *pops Yami on the head and glomps Bakura* Bad Yami. It's okay Bakura-chan.

Bakura: Don't hug me in front of everyone.

Ryou: Awww he's blushing ^_^

Yugi: *stifles laughter* 

KTT: Hush all of you. *Sighs* men... anyway review review and more reviews if you want to see what happens.

Bakura: Don't make her send me back to the Ring. She'll do it, and it's cold in there.

KTT: *exasperated sigh* Egyptians, cant handle a little cold.


	2. My Aibou

DISCLAIMER: *mumbles. Shoves sign in ground and walks away* Sign: Don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! Get off my case.

KTT: Yay! I'm on a roll.

Bakura: More like the rocks in you're head are.

KTT: I'll let that one slide. Okay chapter two, gomen for making it short but the ending I thought of was just so kawaii and I have trouble filling in parts off the story so I said o well it will just be short. Oh and I know what you're thinking. 'Okay if he can read Ryou's thoughts then why didn't he stop him before he tried to kill himself?' My simple answer...Bakura was emotionally distraught....that's why.

Ryou: You mean it's actually gonna end like happy this chapter?

KTT: Hai.

Yugi: Yami can u make me another sandwich?

Yami: *gets worried look and looks around suspiciously* Ummm you're not hungry aibou..

Yugi: Hai Yami, I am.

Yami: No you're not.

KTT: *blink blink* Is there something you're not telling us Yami?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

" You mean I can get rid of you? Forever?"

"Hai. But if you're going to get rid of it and me then destroy it. Don't kill yourself to seal me back into this damn thing. I may deserve to be locked up in it but you don't deserve to loose your life."

Ryou lifted his head, but kept his eyes down, thinking. _I can get rid of him. I can end all of this torture. He'll be gone and I can have my life back. But what if Yugi and Yami are right? What if he has changed and he's not going to hurt me. But what if they're wrong? What if nothing changes?_

// I'm not going to hurt you anymore Ryou.//

Ryou looked fully up, locking eyes with Bakura.

"How do I know that?"

Bakura sighed, sitting down on the bed and placing the Ring in his lap.

"If I was going to hit you, don't you think I would have done it by now? Especially since you looked me in the eyes and you know I don't allow that."

******************************************

"Are you sure it's okay to leave them alone?"

"Hai aibou. It's perfectly safe."  
"Because of you're spell right?"  
"Iie. I took my spell off of Bakura when he brought Ryou here."

"So Bakura isn't going to hurt him? Even without your spell?"

"Hai aibou. He's thinking without his fists for once."

*******************************************

Ryou reached over, grasping the Ring and pulling it into his own lap. He ran his thumb over its edge, staring at it.

"I don't hate you. Gomen nasai....for hurting you hikari, I was only....scared."

"Of me?"

"Hai of you."

"Why?"

"I was afraid you'd hurt me. You know the way I hurt you."

"I would never hurt you though."

"I know."

"So what happened to you....back in Egypt to make you afraid of me?"

"Gomen Ryou but I'm not ready to tell you that just yet. Besides you still have a decision to make."

Ryou slipped the ring over his head, letting it fall comfortably onto his chest.

"It's okay, I won't push the subject."

"So you've decided to keep me?"

Ryou laughed, smiling at his yami.

"Light needs darkness. 'Sides I figure we can train you."

"Well Ryou looks like I'll have to keep you happy from now on."

"Why?"

"I like it when you smile at me. When you're not scared of me."

They sat there for a minute, silence filling the room, taking in all that had just passed between them.

"What are you feeling Bakura?"

"What do you mean?"  
"The Ring doesn't feel so cold anymore." Bakura smiled to himself.

" I'm just happy that you can look at me without being afraid."

"Bakura?"  
"Hai?"

"Are things really gonna be different? You promise that you won't hurt me anymore?"

"I promise hikari."

Ryou sighed, putting his hand on Bakura's shoulder.

"Does this mean we can be like Yugi and Yami now?"

Bakura smiled, reaching over and gently ruffling Ryou's hair.

" If that's the way you want it....my aibou."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

KTT: Kawaii!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! **His **aibou!!!!!!! His **aibou** !!!

Ryou: Now I like it.

KTT: *glomps Bakura* See you can be so kawaii.

Yami: *snicker* kawaii

Bakura: I'm not kawaii.

Yugi: Yami about the sandwich....

Yami: Shut up about the sandwich

Yugi: *cries* Neko-chan! Yami is being mean to me!

*Tsuki's yami, Neko, pops up out of nowhere and pops yami upside his head*

Neko: Quit it Yami and go make him a sandwich!

Yami:*mumbles* I can't

Neko: And why is that?  
Yami: Cause I bought those sandwiches

Yugi: No wonder it took you so long.

KTT: Hey that's cheating!

Bakura: Now that's embarrassing.

Ryou: Ummm review guys!


	3. A Day At Busch Gardens

****

IMPORTANT!!!!!!

A/N: First off Gomen, school and all has slowed me down. Okay this chapter is here to relieve some of the angst, but don't worry there plenty more where that came from so don't let this ruin the mood. I also did this because I had to expose Bakura to as many mortal things as possible in one day and what better place to do it than a Bush Gardens (which I don't own either).Also its just fun for me to torture the yamis repeatedly and it all ties back into the main story at the end so it actually does fit. Oh and Joey and Tristan are just there to cause trouble, be Bakura's anger vent and to be comic relief. Anyway enjoy!

Disclaimer: *puts plug into electrical socket. Neon sign lights up* Sign: I DON'T OWN YU-GI-OH! STOP REMINDING ME!!!

Ryou: Tomb Raider

Bakura: What?

Yugi: Grave Robber

Bakura: What do you want?

Yami: Soul Stealer

Bakura: What are you all doing?

Neko: Millennium Items Thief

Bakura: Why do you keep calling me?!

Tsuki: Bagel Thief. We're going through all of your nicknames.

All except Tsuki and Bakura: Bagel Thief?

Bakura: *blushes* N-nothing she's speaking nonsense again.

Tsuki: He steals my bagels...I only get to eat half ~_~,

Bakura: Enough volunteered information.

Neko: *smiles evilly* HEY BAGEL THIEF!

Bakura: What? Uhhh I mean...uh...damn.

Tsuki: He also gets high off of cinnamon.

Bakura: Tsuki!

Yami, Neko, Yugi, and Ryou: *snicker*

Bakura: I hate you all.

Tsuki: *pet pet* We love too Bakura!

Yami: I don't love you...

POV switch to third person ^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou's POV

Bakura still scares me a little. I know he is trying, but he still has trouble controlling his anger. We have stayed at Yugi's for the past three days, I'm surprised that his grandpa doesn't have a problem with it. Besides that the fact that he doesn't know that I have a yami. I'm having trouble also. It is hard for me to trust my yami, there's always the danger that things will go back to the way they were. I don't know maybe I'm just being paranoid. Then again I have the right to be. I look up, seeing Bakura come into the room, unfortunately he doesn't seem to be very happy. He smiles at me, not wanting to scare me but I know he's upset, and I know what he does when he's upset. 

"What is wrong Bakura? You seem upset."

"Yami wants me to stay out when we're around your friends. Be more sociable."

"So?"

"I'm not good at being sociable."

"Couldn't you try? For me?"

He sighs, looking down at the floor for a minute. Maybe I'm asking too much of him, I don't want to push him back to what he was. 

"I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to."

He looks up giving me one of the smiles that he rarely gives anyone. 

"It's all right aibou. I'll be fine, I have to learn to deal with your friends sooner or later."

He walks over to me, putting his hand out. 

"Let me see your wrists."

I bite my lip, pull up my sleeves and reluctantly let him look at my bandaged forearms. He looks at them for a minute as if using the injury as a reminder. 

"You should be able to take these bandages off in a few days. Of course you would have to ask the Pharaoh. I never was much of a healer."

I give him a reassuring smile, trying to lighten the mood.

Bakura's POV

"Ryou! Can you come down here for a minute!"

"Sure Yugi!"

I let his wrists go, as he stands up and heads for the door. I sigh to myself and fidget with my Ring. Still trying to get used to the feeling of always being out of it. Ryou notices my expression, and turns around. Ra here comes the questions.

"I'm not trying to avoid you Bakura."

"No it's not that."

"What's wrong?"

"It's nothing my hikari. Go on now, Yugi's waiting."

I pace around the room for a few moments, trying to pace out pent up anger I guess. I stop as my aibou pops his head in the room. 

"Come on Bakura. We are all going to Bush Gardens."

"Bush wha? With who?"  
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Bakura exited the room, following Ryou down the stairs. 

"We're going with Yugi, Yami, Joey, and Tristan. You know, all of us guys."

"The Pharaoh's going through with this? How'd you manage that?"

"Yugi used his puppy eyes and whiny voice."

"Oh, well it all makes sense now. Wait a minute what makes you think I'm going through with this?"

Ryou spun around, hugging him, and looking up at him with the most pitiful look he could give. 

"Onnnnneeeegggggaaaaaaiiiiiiiii Bakura? For me?"

Now how could Bakura say no to that? Easy he couldn't. He sighed, this is something he couldn't win.

" Fine Ryou, I'll go to whatever gardens with you the Pharaoh, his hikari, Idiot One and Idiot Two."

" Aibou do you think you could just **try** to be a little nicer to them?"

"I'll try my hikari, but no promises." 

They walked down the stairs, into the living room where Yugi, Yami and Grandpa stood. Grandpa looked at the two white haired boys and then over to Yugi and Yami then back to Ryou and Bakura.

"You two are just like Yugi and Yami aren't you?"

"Hai we are." Ryou seemed to beam with pride at his statement. Bakura simply crossed his arms, his impatience growing with the passing seconds.

"What is this Bush thing?"

"My aibou informs me that it's a theme park."

"Oh, a theme park...wait a minute what the fuck is a theme park?"

"Aibou, please watch your language."

"Gomen."

"Yugi says it's a place that's fun..."

"Fun?"

"Hai Bakura, I said fun, f-u-n, fun."

Bakura tapped his foot, thinking for a moment. Things had sure changed fast for him, three days and he was already going out among people. Not only people but common mortals. But he noticed the huge smile on his hikari's face.

__

Never thought I'd be having fun with Ryou, oh well whatever makes him happy.

"Grandpa can we leave now?"

"Hai Yugi, but we have to pick up Joey and Tristan first." 

They all left the house and got in the car, Ryou, Bakura, and Yami in the back with Yugi sitting shotgun. 

After picking up Joey and Tristan, who were cowering in the back seat the whole way do to the presence of a very unexpected Bakura, Grandpa dropped them off with some money. Pretty soon they were standing around at the entrance.

"There are a lot of people here aibou, I don't like it."

"But Bakura you need to interact more with people now, besides they won't hurt you." Just then due to Ryou's bad luck a random person bumped into his crowd paranoid yami.

"Why I-"

Ryou grabbed his yami by the arm in an attempt to restrain him.

"Bakura onegai, onegai be good."

Bakura sighed, defeated yet again by his hikari's usage of the word onegai.

"Fine. Stupid mortals."

Joey who had a question on his mind that he and Tristan had been discussing finally got up the courage to ask it.

"Ummm Y-yami B-Bakura?"  
"What?"

"Well me n' Tristan were just kinda sorta wondern,-"

"Spit it out already."

"Well we just wanted to know what you were doing out, cause ya usually only come out when your angry so you can beat on Ryou, and well we're just really confused, and by the way what happened to your wrists Ryou?"

"Joey! Tristan!"

"Okay I deserved that one."

"Iie you didn't."

Yami pulled Yugi's idiot friends over to the side giving them a brief explanation to pull them up to date. They all finally regrouped and various gomens were exchanged. They all walked around a bit, still bumping into and being bumped by random people until Yugi finally found a map.

"Finally a map of this place."

"Let me see." With that Yami snatched the map from his hikari's grasp.

"Iie Yami you're doing it wro-"

"Where do you want to go?"

" I want to go on a roller coaster. What about you Ryou?"

"Sure that sounds good."

"Yea roller coaster."

"I'm up for one too."

"Aibou give me the map."

Yami, who was holding the map upside down and becoming very frustrated only lifted the map higher out of Yugi's reach.

"Iie I'm trying to find a roller coaster,"  
"Pharaoh, you don't even know what one is."

"So, like you do?"

"Don't start you two. Tristan, Joey, Ryou, which one you guys want to go on first.

"Alpinegeist!" They all yelled in unison, making Yami and Bakura jump slightly.

After a little walking and complaining from various ancient Egyptian spirits they finally made it to the coaster. After answering Yami's and Bakura's questions about the white stuff called snow, and then explaining that it was only fake snow before they freaked out, they were all in line. After about a half-hour of standing in line, Bakura's temper started to show.

"Why do we have to stand in line!?

"Calm down Yami B."

"Don't call me that!"

"Ryou why do we have to stand in line?"

Ryou sighed, realizing this may be harder than he first thought.

" Lesson number one Bakura, when you're out with mortals you have to act like one, lesson number two, good things come to those who wait."

"But hikari-"

"For me Bakura, just stand in line for me."

"Fine."

Yami chuckled, ruffling up Yugi's hair. 

"Well my aibou, this shall be an eventful day for all of us." 

After about another half-hour in line they finally made it onto the ride. Yami, Yugi, Ryou, and Bakura in the first row with Joey and Tristan in the second.

"Hey! Don't shackle me to the seat! I haven't stolen anything yet!"

"And you're not going to steal anything either."

"I am Pharaoh! You cannot strap me to a chair!"

"Aibou, Bakura! Just let the straps come down! They'll remove them when the ride is over."

"Are you sure aibou?"

"Hai, look." Yugi, with help, strapped himself into the seat, as did Ryou, their Yami's following suit.

In the next row Joey and Tristan were starting to get worried.

"Hey Joey, people are starting to stare. Guys hurry up and chill!"

"Don't ya worry Tristan, I'll take care of this. Excuse me folks but don't mind them, they're on a trip from the local institution for good behavior."

"Joey?"

"Yea?"

"You're an idiot."

"Shut up Tristan."

"Joey!"

"Sorry Yug, people were staring."  
"Quit calling me Yug!"

Well after some more initial complaining about the fact that their feet didn't touch the ground, the ride got under way. Due to the fact that they were going up at a vertical angle, Bakura, who still wasn't liking this, had his eyes closed tight. Yami on the other hand was looking around suspiciously. Just before the big drop however, he got irritated.

"Yugi, how is this fun?"

"Just wait Yami."

"But aibou, I don't see the fuuuuuuuuuuuun!"

And down went a screaming Pharaoh. Around the second loop, Bakura got up the courage to open his eyes, unfortunately he opened them right when they were upside down, thus seeing the sky where trees should of been.

"Holy Ra! This isn't right!"

No one heard him however, except for Joey and Tristan who just laughed. Ryou was too busy trying to help Yugi tie his shoelaces back up so that his shoe wouldn't pop off and Yami was too busy gripping onto his harness for dear life with his eyes closed. After the coaster Yugi, Ryou, Joey, and Tristan walked calmly off. Yami and Bakura however, came stumbling after them.

"Aibou how dare you put me on that, that thing!"

"Oh shut up Yam."

"What did you say to me, let alone call me?"

Bakura snickered. "He called you Yam."

"Shut up Tomb Raider! And don't call me that Joey!"

"Oh come on Yami, it's only his way of showing affection."

"Tristan, I don't believe I want him showing my affection."

Bakura sighed , crossing his arms and leaning on a nearby pole.

"Leave it up to Idiot One and Idiot Two."

Tristan turned, looking over at him. "Who's Idiot Two?"

"You are just for asking."

"Yea! I'm number one!"

"On Bakura's idiot scale Joey."

"Shut up Ryou."

"Watch your mouth idiot, that is if you value your life."

"Bakura!"

"Gomen."

"That's enough you guys, come on, let's go on some more rides."

With that Yugi ran off, the others running after him. They went on some more rides, two more coasters included. After the yamis actually got sick from the last one, they conned their aibous into letting them stay off the one the others were currently on. The others soon came out the exit, all of them hyper.

"Don't you all ever get enough of these things."

"Iie Yami, unlike some we find it an adrenaline rush."

"Anyways, I'm hungry."

"You're always hungry Joey."

"I can't help it."

"I'm hungry too, why don't we just go ahead and eat."

"You can eat after that! Pharaoh they can eat after that! Not only do we have to be out here but we have to feed them too?!"

"As Pharaoh, I find this wrong, but they're mortal so they have to eat."

"Baka mortal rules."

"What do you all want?"

"Let' s get ice cream."

"Okay then, let's go feed the mortals."

After about fifteen minutes of walking around they found a place to get some ice cream. 

" Ice cream, **ice** cream, ice...not good...cold..."

"Hush Yami you're having some too." Yugi looked over his shoulder at Bakura. "And don'' think you can get away without any either."

"Okay then, what and how much do I have to steal so we can get this over with?" Ryou sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Lesson number three aibou, no stealing."

"But-"

"**Absolutely no** stealing, got it? You have to use money."

Bakura blinked, clearly confused and looked over to Yami who only blinked back, confused also. Ryou sighed as Yugi chuckled.

"Never mind, just don't steal anything okay."

"Why?"

"Cause if you get caught , you'll probably hit someone and end up in jail."

"Jail huh."

"Think my dark dank dungeons Tomb Raider."

"I know what jail is Pharaoh."

"Bedsides, Grandpa gave us more than enough money. What flavor you want Yami?"

"It comes in flavors?"

"Hai Yami, it comes in flavors."

"I'll just get what you're getting."

Ryou turned to his own skeptical looking yami. "What do you want?"

"What the Pharaoh said."

So after spending more time in line they finally got their ice cream. Chocolate for Yugi and Yami, vanilla for Ryou and Bakura, strawberry for Tristan, and for some strange reason they had Joey's favorite, pineapple. They all sat down with their food, four teenagers sat silently, spooning ice cream into their mouths. Two Egyptian spirits on the other hand, sat staring at theirs.

"It's cold."

"It's sticky."

"It comes in flavors."

"It requires utensil usage."

They looked at each other clearly not liking the idea of ice cream.

"Would you two just eat it?"

"It's cold." They said in unison, instantly followed by a death glare between them.

"Ha! Bet ya they're scared."

Death glares were instantly turned on the blonde. Tristan scooted away from him, just waiting for the inevitable fight.

"Uh, Joey, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What it's true. They can't handle a little ice cream."

Just to prove themselves, Yami and Bakura picked up their spoons, each shoving a huge spoonful into their mouths. Unfortunately no one told them that ice cream is better when **not** chewed.

"Holy fucking Ra! Shit, fuck, damn that's fucking cold!"

"Damn, damn, damn, shit , shit , shit, cold, evil, damn it to the underworld!"

"Bakura! Yami! Don't cuss so loud! You'll get us in trouble with security!"

By this time Yami was pulling on his bangs, trying to get his brain freeze to stop while Bakura had his head on the table, banging it every now and then, trying to relieve his. Yugi looked at Ryou, the two instantly bursting out in laughter, soon joined by Joey and Tristan. Bakura lifted his head and sat up leaning back in his chair.

"This is exactly why I don't eat. This. Right here."

"Gomen aibou, I should have told you that you're not supposed to chew it."

"You think you could have told us before we chewed it and I screwed up my hair!"

"Down Pharaoh."

"Shut up Tomb Raider!"

"Calm down Yami! Geez, I thought it was going to be Bakura that we had to worry about."

"Speaking of which, are you all right Bakura?"

"Ryou why must you continue torturing me?"

"I'm not trying to torture you Bakura, I'm just trying to show you some of the world. You have to take the good and the bad. Now calm down, onegai try not to make this a bad thing."

They finished eating and took a glance at the map.

"Hey Ryou, let's take them on the scrambler."

"Can they handle that?"

"They'll be fine."

"Scrambler... that doesn't sound good."

"Calm down Baku."

"Why do you insist on nicknames for everyone?"

"Don't start, now according to this we have to take the sky lift over there."

"Sky lift?"

"Hai that." They all looked over in the direction Yugi was pointing .

"You mean we have to leave the ground again?!?!"

"Aibou, calm, remember?" Besides it's not a roller coaster, it's just a nice smooth ride over there."

Thus they made their way to the sky lift, Bakura and Yami trailing slowly behind. They reached the train tracks just as the lights that signal the train is coming came on. And that just happened to be when some animals escaped the petting zoo due to some freak accident and everyone stopped to look. Everyone except Yami and Bakura that is. Unfortunately no one noticed when the yamis continues to walk towards the track, on which the train came speeding by just as they were about to step onto it. They froze in place, both wide eyed and shocked.

"Ummm Pharaoh?"

"Hai Tomb Raider?"

"Did a large, fast moving object mad of metal just speed by us only about an inch from our noses?"

"Hai, hai I believe it did. Good thing we're not mortal."

"Thank Ra for that. Now that I feel my personal space has been violated, I need to hit something. Where's a tree when ya need one?"

"Iie Bakura. We defiantly have to work on your people and object skills."

"Yami! Bakura! Are you okay?" They turned just as the others came running up to them.

"We were almost hit by the ummm thing."

"The train?"

"Hai, that thing."

"And you call me an idiot! The sign right there says 'stop when lights signal'."

Tristan elbowed Joey in the ribs. " Know wonder you're number one idiot. You know they can't read Japanese."

"We can too, we're just slow about doing it."

"You mean **you're** slow."

"I don't see you reading anything."

"Shut up Tomb Raider, just shut up."

"I win."

"Enough guys, come on we have a sky lift to catch."

They finally reached the sky lift and got on surprisingly quick. Ryou and Yugi sat on one side while Tristan and Joey were on the other. Yami and Bakura however, had their backs up against the center pole and were trying to stay as still as possible.

"Aibou, let go of the pole, come over here, and sit down."

"Iie, Ryou open your side of the link, I want to go to my soul room where it's safe."

"Don't tell me you're afraid Bakura."

"Tristan shut up, you're gonna get us in trouble."

"I never did like heights, I never will. Not back in Egypt, not now, not ever!"

"I find myself in total agreement for once, Yugi open you're side of our link as well."

"Iie Yami, how will you or Bakura get over your fears of heights?"

"I don't need too."

"Okay guys lesson four, get over your fears like a mortal."

"Yeah Ry, I'll help."

"Iie Joey!"

Just then Joey jumped up, grabbing Tristan by the wrist and ran immediately to the side, throwing their weight against it. Well due to shoddy workmanship and the fact that the guys who closes the doors on the cars was a rookie, he hadn't locked to door all the way. Yami and Bakura slid across the car's floor, their combined weight hitting the door and causing it to pop open, and them to go sliding out. Their hikari's jumped up, instantly grabbing them and yanked them back up into the car. As soon as the two had their feet back up they latched onto the pole.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!....when we get on the ground.....I suggest you run...fast...very **very** fast...."

"I'm going to help!"

"Uhhh gomen?"

"Joey that was one of the stupidest things you have done in your life!"

"And you've done some pretty stupid things!"

"I thought you two were the nice ones."  
"Not when you mess with our aibous!"

"You're all moving too fucking much!"

"As Pharaoh and Game King I command you all to sit down and be still and quiet until this thing reaches the ground!"

They all quickly sat down, Bakura's string of Egyptian and Yami's sennen eye signaling to them it was best to do as they were told. When they did reach their destination the yamis practically jumped out and had to be restrained from killing Joey. After about five minutes they finally calmed down.

"Aibou are you going to be okay?"

"Hai, hai I'll be fine. I just need to sit down."

Ryou waved his hand in font of Bakura, his yami was staring straight ahead, not moving at all.

"Ummm Bakura? Aibou? Are you okay?" Bakura's eye twitched and everyone took a step back.

"Right, why don't we all just sit down, and let Yami gain back his composure while Bakura clams himself down."

After sitting for about fifteen minutes, Yami has returned to his normal confident self and Bakura had become calm enough to continue on with his day without killing anyone.

"Now that we've all recovered and Bakura isn't going to mangle something w-"

"Shut up Pharaoh."

"Like I was saying before I was so **rudely** interrupted, where are we going again?"

"The scrambler."

"Right that thing."

Joey snatched the map from Yugi. "Let's see we take a left, right, another left, left again, then another right around Germany and we're there."

Bakura coughed, getting everyone's attention and pointed across the street. "Now I'm not the world's best speller but, doesn't that say scrambler?"

"Good going Kura!" Bakura grabbed the blonde teen by his shirt, freaking him out royally.

"Look baka, I am Bakura, that's Ryou, that's Yugi and that's Yami, and this is precisely why I call **you** Idiot One!"

"So uhhh you want us to call you just Bakura, not Yami Bakura?"

He narrowed his eyes and released the teen, he then turned and headed for their next destination. "Stupid mortals."

"You know Ryou, you should really work on his people skills."

"Well if **certain** people wouldn't piss him off every five seconds, he's actually quite pleasant to be around."

With that Ryou walked after his yami, followed by Yugi.

"Hurry up guys."

Yami turned to Joey and swiftly punched him in the arm.

"Owww, what was that for?"

"Being an idiot." He then turned, walking after the others, followed by Tristan and lastly Joey. Due to the hikari's excellent planning skills and tricks they managed to shove Yami, Bakura and Joey into one car, mainly just to see what would happen. Them and Tristan were in another care together, trying to hold in bouts of laughter as the three tried desperately not to touch each other. 

"I swear to Ra himself if any of you touch me I will kill you."

"You mean if you touch me, I will kill you Tomb Raider."  
"Why in the underworld would I even dream of touching you stupid Pharaoh?"  
"Onegai Kami, let me live through this."

Well as the ride started the yamis got a lesson in centrifugal force. Joey went sliding into Bakura who slid into Yami who got squished against the side.

"Ra! Get off of me Tomb Raider!"

"I gladly would but I have a dog on me that is going to die when this is all over!

"Gomen it's not me its centrifugal force!"

"What the hell is that!"

About five minutes later they all got off, both yamis with angry expressions. Yugi, Ryou and Tristan were trying to hold in, but failing miserably, their laughter. Yugi was the first to somewhat regain himself.

"Did you have fun aibou?"

"Iie, I got squished no one said I would get squished."

"Like it was any more fun for me? I was squished between you and Idiot One!"

"Yugi can we go home now?"

"We want to do one more thing Yami, just one more."

"Those kawaii eyes......fine."

"To Ireland!"

Well the ride of choice in Ireland was Corkscrew Hill.

"What's this thing again aibou?"

"It's a movie Bakura."

"About what?"

"You'll see."

So they once again found themselves in line, but in the rock like tunnel that Bakura found oh so comfortable in.

"This is more like it, no more loud noises, damp, cold, dark, I like it."

"I think you spent too much time in my dungeons."

"I spent **no** time in your dungeons, may I remind you. I just like it."

Well after the ride Bakura found himself very irritable. He was now sore, wet and his vision was a bit fuzzy. He rested his hand on the hilt of his hunting knife out of habit, ready to protect himself if need be. That's when total chaos broke loose. Tristan had walked up to Bakura, placing a hand on the Egyptians shoulder and startled him, causing Bakura to draw his knife and bring it quickly up to the teen's neck.

"Bakura! Don't!" Ryou grabbed Bakura's shirt, dragging him back away from Tristan as Yami proceeded to remove the object from Bakura's hand. Just them a couple of security guards came running towards the group.

"Shit."

After being led down to the local Bush Gardens security station, the teens were being harshly questioned. Bakura was practically growling out his sentences.

"He freaked me out. I had a simple fit of rage. I did not mean to and-"

"Don't mind my aib- uhhh my brother, he's in anger management, really he is."

"Well the important thing is that he didn't hurt anyone."

"I'm about t-" Bakura was cut off by Ryou's hand covering his mouth.

"That's right, no one got hurt and all we want to do right now is leave."

"Well, if your really sorry, and you look responsible enough, I guess I can let you off with a warning. But don't come back here anytime soon."

"Don't worry, there's no way in hell I'm-"

"We understand. Don't we **oniichan**?"

"Hai."

"Good, we're at an understanding. Goodbye."

"Wait, can't I have my knife back?"  
"You don't look old enough to own a knife like this."

"I'm three thous-, I'm twenty-one." 

"All right I believe you, here you are."

They left the station and walked over to the phones.

"We're going to call Grandpa I want you two to stay here and don't move from this spot.

"Whatever."

"We will aibou." The four teens walked away, leaving the yamis alone. Yami turned to Bakura, exploding at him as soon as the others were out of earshot.

"We can't take you anywhere can we! All they wanted to do is have some fun and bring us along to share in the experience! I admit that I was some trouble but you, you pulled your hunting knife on Tristan!"  
"It was an accident! He surprised me! It was a natural response for anyone to have when surprised!"

"I don't care for your excuses! You're always screwing everything up!"  
"Ra forbid I make a mistake!"  
"Hai Ra forbid! Did you happen to see the look of disappointment on your hikari's face?"  
That was it. Yami had hit Bakura's weak point and had broken down the current wall Bakura had had up and got through to him. Bakura's expression instantly changed from one of anger at the Pharaoh to complete regret for ruining his aibou's day. Just then the others came back over, noticing Yami's angry expression and the awkward silence.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing." Bakura turned, walking off, hands in his pockets.

"Yami wha-"

Yami sighed, a bit sorry for the way he had blown up at the former tomb raider. "Don't worry about it, I'll take care of this."

He walked after him, finally catching up to him.

"Bakura I-"

"Haven't you rubbed it in my face enough!? Gomen! I know that I ruin everything, I don't need to be reminded!"

"Bakura, I'm sorry. I shouldn't of exploded at you."

"Doesn't matter now, I've already ruined Ryou's day. Now leave me alone."

The others caught up just as Bakura was walking off again. Ryou went to go after him but Yami grabbed his arm.

"Let him be right now."

And so they waited until Grandpa picked them up. The ride home was spent mostly in silence as Joey was dropped off at home, then Tristan, Ryou and Bakura were still staying with at Yugi's house. Ryou walked up to the house but Bakura remained on the sidewalk. 

"Aibou? Aren't you coming."

"Gomen nasai Ryou . I didn't mean to ruin your day."

"Bakura it's not your fault."

"Don't tell me that. If I hadn't of pulled my knife th-" He stopped, taking his knife from his belt loops and shoved it in between the cracks of the sidewalk. He took his foot and kicked it hard, breaking the blade from its hilt. He picked up the pieces, walking over to Ryou and handing him the two parts.

"There aibou, now I can't hurt or even attempt to hurt anyone with this anymore. Forgive me?"

"I always have."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura: You made me brake my knife!

Tsuki: That's cause it ties back in later, it was important to do so!

Yami: It was only a knife Tomb Raider.

Neko: You can't talk Yami * takes one of Yami's gold bracelets and breaks it*

Yami: Ahhhhhh how could you!

Bakura: *mockingly* It's was only a bracelet Pharaoh.

Yami: Shut up.....

Yugi: *reeking of kawaiiness* This just keeps getting better and better! ^_^

Ryou: Yeah! Review guys! Onegai! ^_^


	4. Past's Nightmares

DISCLAIMER: *Tsuki shoves Bakura in front of a microphone* 

Bakura: I don't want to.... 

Tsuki: Just do it!

Bakura: Fine, Kuro Tsuki Tenshi does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! There I said it now give me my five bucks.

Tsuki: Too bad I'm Broke. ^_~

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^* = flashback

= Mental picture ( seen through mind links)

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*= Dreams

A/N: I'm experimenting with point of view so tell me what ya think

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou: Thanks to Tsuki's unusually hard head the writer's block has been defeated.

Tsuki: Hey Bakura! Get over here I need to be fanned. I'm hot.

Bakura: Iie....

Tsuki: Okay then I guess I'll just let Ryou, Yugi, Yami and Neko see this picture of you with bright pink hair.

Bakura: *mumbles* I'll go get the fan. *walks off. Comes back a few minutes later*

Tsuki: Good boy. Now fan me slave for I am hot.

Bakura: * Plugs fan into the wall. Pushes on button.* There.

Ryou: That's cheating

Bakura: What? She said fan her. This is a fan and it's on her.

Tsuki: Stupid loop holes.

Neko: Hey can we see that picture?

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura's POV

We went back to Ryou's house the next day. As soon as I walked in I had to step back out. I could still smell blood in the air. It probably wasn't strong enough for Ryou to detect but to me, it was like someone had punched me in the face. I couldn't stand it in that house, or the fact that I knew what his room looked like. That image haunted me. Ryou, lying on his bed unconscious, the pill bottles on the floor, his bathroom mirror smashed, the bloody shard in his limp hand, the ring in a pool of his blood. It wouldn't have bothered me before. I used to welcome blood, it meant that I was the one in control. Just last week I was washing Ryou's blood from my knuckles, now just the thought of the thick crimson substance made me sick. He put his hand on my arm, saying something that didn't seem to reach my ears. My hikari tugged on my sleeve, trying to get my attention.

/Aibou? Are you all right?/

I put my arm around his shoulders, pulling him into a hug.

//I'm sorry.// I didn't know what else to say, I felt so guilty. Somehow he managed to get me inside. We spent the rest of the day cleaning his room and bathroom, scrubbing the blood from the carpet and replacing the mirror, throwing his bloody sheets into the wash. I stayed quiet, avoiding his eyes, and keeping my distance a bit. When we were done I just sat on the edge of the bed, staring at my boots.

"Aibou, please don't be like this."

"I just. I..."

"Don't worry about it aibou, you know I forgive you. Besides, I did it not you."

"Bu tI drove you to it."

"Bakura, put it in the past. Things can only get better."

"Hai my hikari, as usual you're right."

%%%%%% Time jump!%%%%%%%%%%

Third Person POV

Bakura jolted up in bed, breathing heavily and covered in a cold sweat. The nightmares were getting worse and more frequent. He looked over at Ryou, seeing that his hikari was sleeping soundly beside him. (A/N: Quit that! Get your head out of there! This is not that kind of fic. My sister and me share a bed and not in THAT way, neither do Ryou and Bakura. No I don't support yaoi thank you very much. You can quote on that or even flame for all I care, but screwing you aibou is just wrong. Even kissing them in the romantic sense is wrong.) He didn't want Ryou to share his dreams. His past was a harsh one, on that even made him cry. Bakura was crying now, letting the tears flow silently down his cheeks. He frowned, suddenly and violently wiping the tears away, angry with himself. He hated crying over the past. He had crying period, for he was never shown mercy for tears, so he wasn't one to cry often, if ever. The last time her had cried was about a month ago when Ryou had tried to kill himself.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Bakura ran through the rain. His hikari's body cradled in his arms. He stopped briefly, out of breath and out of hope. Ryou was so cold, so pale ad lifeless. That's when he realized it. The water on his body was cold, but the water on his face was hot. He was, crying, afraid or losing his light, afraid of being sealed back into the Ring. He wasn't sure which he was more afraid of but her knew he had to save Ryou, he had to make it to Yugi's house in time.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

He stiffened as Ryou made a noise and rolled over. Bakura looked over his shoulder, making sure the teen was still asleep, which he was. He lay back against the pillow, his breathing slowing back into a normal rhythm. He closed his eyes as the Ring glowed softly. With that the Spirit of the Ring returned to his long empty soul room.

Ryou woke up the next morning, sat up a rubbed his eyes. He looked over, noticing the empty spot in the bed. _I thought I sensed him going back to the Ring. _/ Bakura are you awake? /

//Hai and I'm fine. // Bakura seemed to spit the words back at the teen, acid lining every one.

/Y-you know I just worry a-about you. /

//You worry too much. Why are you stuttering? //

/You just sound angry. /

Bakura lowered his voice and checked his tone before continuing the conversation, but the fright he was sensing from Ryou was only making him angrier.

//Damn it Ryou! Why are you scared of me again!?//

/You're yelling at me that's why!/

Ryou sat in silence for a moment before Bakura materialized behind him ad pulled him into a hug, resting his chin on top of Ryou's head.

"Gomen aibou. I haven't slept well lately and I'm edgy."

"I know you don't."

"Huh?"

"I feel you toss and turn at night. I even hear you cry sometimes. Like you did last night."

Bakura closed his eyes, he still wasn't ready to tell and Ryou wasn't ready to hear.

"It's just nightmares my hikari, nothing more."

"Then why do they scare you so much?"

Bakura sighed, lifting his head. " Don't you have school?"  
"Are you changing the subject?"

"Hai I am, and it's a Monday and it's 8:00 and your still here so now you've confused you."  
"It's one of those teacher workday things. I don't have to go when the school has those."

"Oh."

" Want some breakfast?"

"Aibou you know I don't eat."

"You ate lunch with me last Wednesday."

"Okay so technically I don't **need** to eat but I do sometimes."

"Come on, I'll make you something with cinnamon in it."

Bakura raised an eyebrow. "Cinnamon?"

"Yeah, it'll be ready in fifteen minutes so hurry up and get down stairs. 

Ryou slid out of bed and headed downstairs to the kitchen. Twenty minutes later Bakura came down to find a fresh plate of cinnamon rolls on the kitchen counter. He reached out for one only to be stopped by Ryou. 

"Hey what's the deal?"

Ryou sighed. shoving a silver object in front of his darker half.

"Fork."

"Fork?"

"Use it."  
"But aibou forks are over rated."

"Onegai just use the fork."

Bakura sighed in defeat. " Never could say no when you say onegai."

"And at the table." Ryou turned around to get a glass of milk as Bakura started eating. A few minutes later Ryou found himself being poked with a semi sharp object.

"Bakura what are doing?"  
"I'm using the fork."

"What do you want aibou?"

"I want another one."

"But I just gave y-"

"I ate it already." Bakura smiled and poked his hikari again.

"Okay okay you can have another one."

"Arigato aibou."

Hikari and yami sat on the couch, flipping through the various TV channels. Bakura sighed, trying to fight off sleep. Ryou looked over, noticing his other half's closed eyes. 

" Why don't you take a nap?"

"Huh? Oh I don't need one."  
"You said you didn't sleep well last night."

"I'll be fine."

"Onegai Bakura?"

Bakura reached over, ruffling his hikari's hair. " Why do you always talk me into things." He stood up and yawned heading for Ryou's room. " I 'll be back in a while."

Ryou turned off the TV and walked down the hallway to his room.

"Hey Bakura wake up, if you sleep all day you won't be able to sleep toni-. Bakura?"

Ryou looked around the room, finding no sign of his yami. _He must be in his soul room. Wonder why though. _He closed his eyes, making a mental connection to his other.

"No! Let me go! You're hurting me!"

"That's the point you worthless has been tomb raider! You will learn your place even if it kills you!"

"I'll never be a dog at your feet!"

"Wrong choice brat! I'll just have to beat the sense into you!"

"No! Stop!"

Ryou opened his eyes, shaking. "His nightmares?" He closed his eyes again, trying to wake his other.

/ Bakura wake up!/

" Look how pitiful you are. Can't even get up from your own pool of blood."

"I-I'll never b-bow down to the l-likes of y-you."

"But my dear boy don't you realize that it's better to be a cringing dog at my feet than a bug under my boot?"

"You'll have to kill me first."

"Boy, when I am through with you not only will you learn to watch your mouth and obey me but you'll pray to the Gods themselves that I would just kill you and end your worthless little life."

/ Bakura! Come on wake up!/

Bakura jolted awake in his soul room, his mind racing.

/ Bakura come out here./

// A-aibou?//

/ Hai, it's me. Don't worry you were just having a nightmare./

Bakura closed his eyes, materializing onto Ryou's bed. He brushed his hair out of his face and leaned back against the headboard, waiting for his breathing to return to normal. Ryou walked over and sat down on the bed next to his yami, pulling him into a hug in an attempt to comfort him.

" Everything is alright my hikari, I'm alright. Memories and dreams don't hurt."

"Then why do yours cause you so much pain?"

Bakura's POV

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

There was blood everywhere. The walls, the floor, and in the center of it all sat me, also covered in blood. My own blood. I was no more than fifteen, Ryou's age. I could hear his footsteps on the marble floor behind me, coming back to finish the beating he was interrupted from. Laying back, I closed my eyes and held my breath. Maybe if he thought I had passed out he would go away. The footsteps stopped a few moments later and I inhaled deeply, dizzy from the lack of oxygen. I sat back up, my once white hair now stained crimson with blood dripping over my shoulders. I blinked several times, my vision blurry, most likely from the day's earlier beating session. But the Gods seemed against me today as I was yanked off the floor by my hair and slammed into the nearby wall.

" Did you think you could trick me boy? Do you think I'm stupid?"

"N-no m-master I-I would nev-"

I suddenly couldn't breath again, his hand was around my throat, cutting off my air. He let me go just as I stopped struggling and started to go limp. I hit the ground hard, gasping for breath, only getting it knocked out again by a swift kick to my stomach. I sank down to the floor, coughing up blood and curling into a ball, trying to protect myself. My body couldn't take much more.

" Don't try my patience again brat or you'll wish I had killed you this night."

He walked away, leaving me in another pool of my own blood. I pulled myself to my hands and knees, crawling over to my bed and laying down. I feel asleep that night not from exhaustion but from the blood loss and pain. Suddenly I felt a tight grip on my shoulders. Someone started roughly shaking me causing my already bruised and battered body even more pain. I couldn't get away, I had to fight back, I don't want to die!

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I jolted up in bed, my eyes still closed, my mind still telling me that I was asleep, my body saying I wasn't. I could still feel that iron grip on my shoulders. I clenched my hand into a fist, throwing a punch out to my right. I froze as I heard the sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh, my mind finally awakening from it. I opened my eyes, and there in front of me sat Ryou, holding his right cheek with tears in his eyes that were threatening to fall.

__

I hit him. No I promised him! This can't be happening! 

I backed away from him, getting up from the bed.

"Y-you you hit m-me."

"Ryou I-I didn't mean to! I didn't know it was you!"

"B-but you p-promised you'd n-never-"

Hot tears had started to roll down his face, and it was because of me that he was crying. I took a step closer, reaching out for him. He only flinched away, giving me that look of pure fear. The look he used to give me when I would beat on him. I closed my eyes not able to stand that look any longer.

"Gomen nasai my aibou. I didn't mean to!"

I back out of the room, bolting down the stairs and out the door.

_I broke my promise......._

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Neko: Come on let us see the picture.

Bakura: Iie don't let them see the picture!

Tsuki: why shouldn't I? You cheated.

Ryou: But he didn't cheat it was a loophole.

Tsuki: Ryou! You're supposed to be on my side!

Yami" Come on. One look that's it.

Yugi: *puppy eyes* Onegai?

Tsuki: Well Bakura you best give me a good reason, cause Yugi has broken out the puppy eyes.

Bakura: Ummmm..got it. Aishiteru Tsuki-chan.

Tsuki: Awwwww isn't that sweet. *looks at Yugi* But no one can resist the puppy eyes so here ya go. *hands picture to Neko, Yugi and Yami.*

Neko, Yugi, and Yami: *Burst out in laugher and end up on the floor due to the fact that they're laughing so hard they can't stand up* 

Ryou: *stands behind Tsuki* I think I'll just stand right here, out of the way, out of his way.

Bakura: *eye twitch* And I said aishiteru too and that still didn't help

Tsuki: Gomen , but like I said he **no one** can resist his puppy eyes.

Ryou: Review guys!

Yami: Ha! Bright pink hair!


	5. Why I Am The Way I Am

A/N: Yes, I did make up Bakura's past. Why? Because I find it more interesting if he has a past like this. So don't flame me if you don't like it, I told you before that I'm emotionally screwing over Bakura AND THIS IS THE ONLY WAY TO DO IT PROPERLY! Besides, it helps everyone understand why he is the way he is. And yes, some of Yami's past is made up and thrown in here as well. 

DISCLAIMER: Watashi suru nai jishin no Yu-Gi-Oh! Iku tobu ka doka anata suru nai konomu sore. Hehe, figure that one out!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsuki: Ohhhhhhh reviews! Well guys, I'm mostly working in POV 'cause POV is just fun, and it explains more. Okay now let's see *pulls out scoreboard* Ryou's Emotional Damage is at 3, Bakura's Emotional Damage is at 7 but judging from this chapter that should be a ohhhhh 13 maybe, next chapter about 15.

Bakura: Geez, you love me so much.

Ryou: Shouldn't I have the higher damage?

Tsuki: Iie dear, there's a difference between emotional and physical abuse.

Neko: Yeah! Like emotional damage lasts longer and is mostly all the time permanent! ^_^

Tsuki: Yami!

Yami: What?

Tsuki: Not you!

Yugi: Wow that can get confusing.

Tsuki: Hush you!

Neko: Don't tell my Yugi to hush! *glare*

Bakura: Can we get on with my emotional screwage then?

Tsuki: I am the authoress, I can be mean if I want!

Bakura: Ohayo?

*Tsuki and Neko get into fight, making a dust cloud roll around the room*

Ryou: *sigh* Forget it, they aren't ending that anytime soon so that means I get to take over! ^_^

Yugi: Me too! Me too!

Yami: Ra, not **both** of them.

Bakura: Ra has no sympathy for us...get used to it.

Ryou: Get out your boxes of tissue!

Yugi: *gets boxes of tissue, passes them out to everyone.* Ready!

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou's POV

I found him on a bench in the park. I knew I would. This is where he tends to go if he wants to think or be alone. He's been crying too, I can tell by the tearstains on his shirt. (A/N: Awwwww! Bakura crying!) I know he didn't mean to hit me, it just....happened. I also overreacted, it wasn't as bad as I had made it out to be. I mean, he didn't even hit me that hard. His fist just glanced off really, it didn't hit dead center. He told me it was an accident, and I believe him. I should of known he would lash out, he was thrashing around so badly.

****************************

I woke up to the feeling of my covers being yanked around. I could also feel Bakura's distress through the link we shared. I looked over at him, he was thrashing around uncontrollably, gripping at the covers and even making a whimpering noise. I grabbed a hold of shoulders, shaking him roughly, trying to wake him up.

****************************

I didn't think he would react that way, I should of known. He looks over, noticing me. He sits up, looking down at his shoes. I walked over, sitting down next to him.

"Bakura, it was an accident."

He still doesn't look up at me as I wait anxiously for him to say something. Anything would be better than his silence.

"Well then if you're waiting for me to forgive you then you have to tell me what your nightmare was about."

He looks at me finally, I can usually tell what he's feeling by the look he gives me, but this one is different, something I can't quit put my finger on.

"Ryou, my hikari, you asked me a while ago what happened to me back in Egypt to make me so afraid. That was what I dreamt of tonight."

"Aibou tell me, I'm ready now, you know I am."

"Are you sure?"

"Hai Bakura, I need to know."  
"Then I need to tell don't I."

He took a breath, leaning back against the bench. I waited patiently.

"Take your time."

He took another deep breath, closing his eyes.

"I lived during the time of Pharaoh Bahar, Yami's father. My mother was a sold into slavery and so when I was born I was made one too. I was treated differently because of my light skin and hair, my only real Egyptian attribute was my dark eyes, and the royals found this totally unacceptable. I used to have to be covered from head to toe in soot to change my hair color and skin tone, and of course in my young mind you can imagine what I thought about myself so needless to say I was a quiet child, keeping mostly to myself. By the time I was six I was already used to being pushed around and doing hard labor, but I also learned to fend for myself and found that I was good at stealing things. When I turned eight, I was already a well-accomplished thief, and had become the local troublemaker, always trying to go past my current thieving limits. often getting caught. Punishment was never very severe for me at that age though, except for those times I had tried to escape. My mother had soon formulated her own plans for getting me out of slavery and one night she carried these plans out. She woke me up in the dead of night and we snuck out of the slave quarters, making it halfway through the city. The Pharaoh's guards had found out, and had come after us about that time. My mother grabbed my hand, running for the city boundaries. When we got there she shoved me ahead of her and outside the city gates, knowing that once I got past those gates I would be safe. Due to the time she took to shove me forward and told me to run and not look back, the guards had caught her. I saw them kill my mother that night. They slit her throat and left her there to bleed to death in the sand. They let me go, figuring that the desert heat would kill me. I believe I cried myself to sleep that night, as well as lost my faith in everything, learning the hard way that tears don't bring people back or anything else as well. I fell in with a gang of thieves, perfecting my skills, learning to survive in a world that I wasn't aloud to be apart of. I soon grew tired of common thieving that's what earned me the nickname Tomb Raider. The challenge of tombs was a pure adrenaline rush for me and it also served as a small piece of revenge to the royals for the death of my mother. Raiding tombs was also how I learned to kill, using the tomb's traps at first, then various long range weapons, and finally how to do it with my own hands. In my mind it was either kill or be killed, even if the person opposing me wasn't a threat. I also acquired the Ring through this act. Following my possession of the Ring I learned of its shadow powers, how to manipulate them, becoming a shadow duelist. It changed me, feeding off my hate of the world, making me careless, making me think that no one could top me. This is what got me caught. I was raiding a priest's tomb one day, when I was fifteen I believe, and I walked right into an ambush. I thought my shadow powers were strong enough to keep me safe, I just never thought about the possibility of another Millennium Item to be there. The other, being more skilled in his use of shadow powers than I was, I was defeated and captured. I went from slave boy to master thief to tomb raider only to fall all the way back down to slave. And of course because of my light skin and hair, they only made my life as a slave worse than even a regular slave would have. Well a few days after that, I was assigned to a high mage named Zaran. Having known the taste of freedom I wasn't going to stand for this. So naturally I was disobedient. That proved to be one of the worst mistakes I ever made. He started to beat on me daily, often leaving me on the brink of death, letting my health return, then beating me back to the brink. Even after I learned to finally accept my fate, growing quickly tired of the abuse and did what I was told, and when I was told he beat one me. It wasn't so bad once I learned to stop screaming and crying, I was never shown mercy for tears or pleas for my life anyway."

" But if you did what you were told, that gave him no reason to hit you anymore."

"I know, I suppose it became a sort of game for him."

"You mean, he just beat on you for no reason?"

"No reason at all. Just like me."

"Don't say that."

He let his gaze wander up, staring at the stars blankly.

"Do you know hwy I used to beat on you Ryou?"

"Huh? Well, not exactly."

"Because I saw myself in you, the image of an innocent child. You made me angry when I looked at you, reminded me of everything about myself that I learned and been taught to hate."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was never your fault. When I beat on you, it was like I was beating on myself. Trying to rid that child of any weakness, any chance to feel pain and be afraid of it. I thought I could make you strong like I wasn't. I never realized that I was doing exactly what Zaran used to do to me."

He goes silent, letting hid eyes drop to the ground. I sit there unsure of what to say, what to do. 

"Do you want me to continue?"

"H-hai."

"You sound unsure aibou."

"Iie, I'm fine, go on." He sighed, closing his eyes again.

" Well maybe a month or two after becoming his slave, Zaran found out that the Millennium Ring had chosen me to use its powers. He, being my slave master, commanded that I duel others for him. At first I refused, it was bad enough I was his slave, I didn't want to be his puppet too. Of course my mind was changed over the next three days. It's amazing what three days worth of beating, no food and little water can do to a person. So I became Zaran's ticket to the Shadow Games. They were intense. All of the item holders gathered there, but there was one who was made to duel like I was, had the same expression of dread on his features."

"Who was it?"

"Yami."

"Yami?"

"Hai. Apparently Pharaoh Bahar had died and his son Yami had taken the throne. His advisers forced him to duel, saying its what kept the empire going. But you know Yami, our new Pharaoh wasn't stupid, he knew the danger of the Shadow Games. So to cut a long story short, Yami sealed the Games, some of us being sealed into our items. And so in the dark recesses of my prison that was the Ring, I waited. Yami had said that if we were lucky we would be released someday. I waited for that day for three thousand years, vowing to take out my pent up anger and rage on the first living thing I saw. I never thought what the consequence to that action may be. I didn't care at that point. That's why I regret so much what I did to you. I almost couldn't believe it when I saw that you looked just like I did as a child. I didn't want history to repeat itself. I never intended to do that to you Ryou, I just got so scared, and I wasn't afraid only for myself but for you also. That's exactly why I am the way I am, and I hate myself for it."

"I understand. Don't hate yourself, it was never truly your fault for being this way, well that's how I see it. I forgive you for hitting my earlier. It was mostly my fault."

"Arigato aibou, I don't know how you keep forgiving me but you do."

I hug him lightly then stand up, offering my hand to help him up as well. We talked more about his past on the way home, mostly about his mother. I believe I understand my yami more than ever now. I see that he had some reason behind his actions, after all, one only does and thinks what one knows, and if pain was all he knew, I can see why he is the way he is. 

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou: Yay! Another chapter done!

Bakura: Yay? How can you say yay!? I poured my heart out!!!

Yami: *not very enthusiastic* My heart bleeds....

Bakura: *glare* I can make it.

Yugi: *hugs Bakura* Sore oke Bakura....

Bakura: *tries to shove Yugi off* Iie touching, get off.

Ryou: *hugs onto Bakura as well* Yeah, aibou, sore oke.

Yami: Yugi get off of him!

Yugi: *sticks tongue out at Yami* I'm just being nice

Tsuki & Neko:*notice Yugi and Ryou hugging on Bakura and Yami standing with his arms crossed all pissed looking.* Kodak moment! *pull out their cameras and start clicking away.*

Tsuki: *runs over and latches onto Bakura* Aishiteru Kura Kura.

Bakura: Ahhhhhhh! Get them off!!! Too many hikaris are touching me at once!!!!

Yami:*snicker* Good luck.

Neko: ^_^ Oh well, I'll get the crow bar. Review guys!!!!


	6. Show and Tell

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh! , Wee aren't I happy about that *obviously not happy*

Neko: *prying the hikaris off of Bakura. * Bakura, do you like have a hikari magnet attached to you?

Bakura: Iie, why?

Neko: They always attach to you. *Pops Yugi off * Yay! Yugi!

Yami: *Grabs Yugi's hand, dragging him away from Bakura. *

Yugi: Neko Yami's being pissy!

Neko: Quit being pissy! * Pops Ryou off * That's two.

Ryou: You could have just asked.

Neko: More fun this way.

Bakura: Concentrate here. I still have one on me…

Neko: Awwwww come on watashii no baka kawaii aibou, don't you want some chocolate?

Yugi & Yami: Chocolate?! Where?!

Neko: Not you!

Tsuki: Iie…Kura.

Neko: * sigh * How about some sugar?

Tsuki: Iie…Kura.

Bakura: Would you stop calling me that?

Tsuki: Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, Kura, KURA!

Bakura: Well that answers my question.

Ryou: You're doing it all wrong. *walks over to Tsuki, works up some tears* Tsuki-chan…I need a hug…

Tsuki: *lets go of Bakura and latches onto Ryou* Ry, Ry *kawaii noises*

Yami: That was incredibly simple…

Neko: She **is** incredibly simple…

Yugi: Then why were you using a crowbar on her?

Neko: *pet pets Yugi * Don't ask questions dear.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Time period: About four months later

Ryou's POV.

Dad is coming home today. I think Bakura is just as nervous as I am. He didn't have to worry about being seen before. I think he's afraid of what Dad might think of him, after all look at what he used to do to me. I can still remember the look of horror on his face when we heard that message.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I walked in, Bakura trailing lazily behind me.

"Hey what's this blinky red light on this black box thing mean?"

I laugh at his question. It sounds like a question from a little child.

"No really, what does it mean?"

"First off aibou, that's the answering machine. The little red light blinks when someone has left a message."

"Oh...well it's blinking."

"Push the green button for me."

"This one?"

"Hai that one." He pushed the button, stepping back a bit from the sounds it made as the message started.

__

Hey son, well obviously you're not in, or you're just being lazy. Moving on, I just wanted to let you know that I'll be coming home on Wednesday. My plane arrives there at three so I should be home around five, maybe later. So I guess I'll see you then son. Remember no wild parties or unsupervised drinking. Oh fine, mild parties and supervised drinking. Love you Ryou, see you soon.

"Cool Dad's coming home." I looked over at Bakura, startled by his expression. 

"Y-your dad's coming home?"

"Hai on Wednesday. Is that a problem?"

"Hai it is! He never believed that I'm real let alone seen me!"

"Calm down Bakura it'll be fine."

"Iie it won't! Remember what I used to do to you! Aibou I can't let him see me!"

"I can't keep you a secret forever aibou. Don't worry." I walk up to him, giving him a reassuring hug. "I'll make him see that you've changed."

*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I get up off my bed and walk down the hall to the guestroom. Well I guess it would be called Bakura's room now. He insisted on having a room of his own, didn't want to invade my space too much or something. Besides after being locked up in the millennium Ring for three thousand years I guess he would have some space issues. Plus he kicks in his sleep so I don't mind. I knock on the door and push it open. He's on his bed, reading as usual. Can someone read too much?

"Hai my hikari?"

"Nothing really, just felt like being annoying. You want something to eat?"  
"Don't tell me you're hungry **again**, we just ate."

"That was at noon aibou."

"You eat too much."

"You eat too little."

"Slaves were trained to eat little."

"Would you get off of that, now come on." I walk over to him and pull on his sleeve.

"Stop that now, or I'll give you the worst bad hair day you've ever had."

Bakura's POV

He smiles at me and continues to tug on my sleeve.

"Come eat with me."

"But aibou-"

"Onegai?"

So convincing. He tugs at my sleeve harder, still trying to get me to come with him. 

"Okay aibou, I warned you! If you thought **my** hair was bad, just wait till I get through with yours!" 

I jump up, chasing him out of my room and down the hall. He comes to a stop and I slide to a stop in front of him. I smile at my hikari, pulling him into a mock headlock and start screwing up his hair. (A/N: Enter angst here) Just then the door opens and there's Ryou's dad, staring at us. We freeze, returning the shocked stare he's giving us. Oh Ra, this looks bad. His son with messy hair so it looks like he's been roughed up, in a headlock, and me, the fabled Yami Bakura from his son's so called stories. Shit this looks **so** bad.

"Uhhh hey dad, this is uhhh Yami Bakura."

"Y-you mean it's true? All the cuts, the bruises, it's all true?" He locked eyes with me, staring pure hate at me.

"Dad listen he do-"

"So what he's said is true, you are real and you're the one who tortures him and beats on him."

"But dad' it's not like that any-"

"Get your hands off of my son!"

I let go of Ryou and step back from him. I'm a bit shaken by his verbal assault, I know what I did was wrong, why does everyone have to rub it in? I stand there, unsure of how to respond. This man means business, and his business is with me. He clenches his fist and takes a step toward me. Next thing I know I'm on the floor, holding my cheek with Ryou kneeled down next to me. Being hit was a shock to me. I'd hadn't been hit in over three thousand years. I stood up, him watching my every move.

"Ryou get away from him!"

"Iie!"

"Ryou, I'm not going to let him hurt you anymore. You are my son now get away from him!"

"Dad listen to me. He doesn't hurt me anymore."

"I can't believe that I thought you were lying. I should have believed you that night that you or him rather pulled that knife on me."

I swallowed. I guess it's better now or never. "Gomen."

"Nani?"

I think my voice startles him, after all this is the first time I've said anything during this conversation. "Gomen for hurting you and you're son." There was an awkward silence between the three of us, until Ryou broke it.

"See dad, he's changed. He wouldn't even think about hurting me or you, let alone doing so. And you had no right to hit him!"

"He has no right to hit you!"

"If you knew his past like I do you would understand!"

"So you're taking his side?!"

"Enough! Ryou, if you need me I'll be in my soul room."

"Iie Bakura do-" 

I didn't wait to let him finish his sentence, I don't want to have them fight because of me.

Ryou's POV

I turned to face my father again. "Now look what you've done dad!"

My father sighed. " He lives in that ring right?"

"Iie. It's only his soul room, he lives out here."

He shook his head and extended his hand to me. "Give it to me."

"My Millennium Ring?"

"Hai. Now give to me."

"Why?"  
"I'm going to get rid of it."

I took a step back. He couldn't be serious, then again he had that look. "Why do you want to get rid of him so badly? You don't even know him!"

"I know what he does and that's enough!"

"You're not listening to me dad! He doesn't do that anymore!"

"I won't run the risk."

"Well you're going to have to!" I shove past him and out the door, when I get to the sidewalk I just run and don't look back. Where am I going? I'll find that out when I get there. I came to a stop at the park. It was sunset and everyone else had already left, a perfect place to be away from it all. I sat down on a bench, angry at myself. Why did he have to come in then? We were just fooling around, he wasn't hurting me at all. 

// I'll stay in the Ring.//

/Iie Bakura, you can't./

//Why not? I did it for three thousand years before and I can do it again.//

/That's not the point Bakura. I don't want things to go back to the way they were. I don't want you locked up in your soul room all the time. And, and things would change again. You'd be angry all the time again. Then eventually you would take it out on me like you used to. I don't want any of that./

The Ring glowed softly and Bakura materialized next to me, his hand on my shoulder. "Listen aibou, I'm not going to let thins change for the worst, but I'm not going to have you and your father fight because of me."

I sat there for a moment, thinking. I then looked up at him, guilt instantly rising up in me as I saw the mark under his right eye. "I apologize for him, he shouldn't of hit you."

"It's okay my hikari, it isn't as if I haven't been hit before."

"But he still sh-"

"Hush now, he had every right to."

We talked for about an hour, me and my yami. Nothing particular just...things, pet peeves and such. He was trying to get my mind off of the situation between me, him, and my dad. It was working too, but I knew I had to go home soon, seems he knew it too.

"Ryou, you should go back home, its getting cold and your father is probably worried."

"But what about you?"

"I'll sleep in my soul room tonight."

"Promise me you'll come out tomorrow. We'll work this out with my dad."

"I promise aibou."

We walked home slowly, a strange sight for anyone who knew me and might have seen us. As far as anyone aside from our little group nobody knew about him, and seeing two of me would freak anyone out. We arrived home about fifteen minutes later, Bakura returning to the Ring as I opened the door. My dad had obviously gone to bed.

// At least he left the door open for you.//

/ He doesn't stay mad at me for long./

//Who said he was mad at you? I thought he was mad at me.//

/He's mad at me for taking your side./

//Oh...//

Bakura's POV

It must have been around eleven o'clock that I came out of the Ring this morning, so why was Ryou still asleep? He usually woke up early regardless of the fact that he didn't need to get up early on weekends. I walked over to his bed and sat down on the edge.

"Ryou, wake up."

He rolled over, burying his face into his pillow.

"Come on my hikari, you'll be pissy if you miss breakfast."

"Mmmm five more minutes aibou, onegai."

"Don't make me pull you out of this bed."

He yawned, opening one eye to look at me. "Go on downstairs. I'll come down in a minute and make us something to eat." He yawned again, rolling back over.

"If you're not down in five minutes I'll come back and drag you out by your ankles." A sleepy okay was the only answered I received. I got p , leaving the room and heading downstairs. I turned the corner, stopping dead in my tracks. There in the kitchen was Ryou's dad. Lucky for me he had his back turned. I turned back around to sneak upstairs.

"Morning Ryou."

How does he do that? Just great, not only was I caught, he thought I was Ryou. Well I don't want to bring up the subject of me yet so I decided to play along. Fortunately I could mimic Ryou's ' I just woke up and I'm still half asleep' voice. "Morning dad, I forgot you were home."

"Want something to eat?"

I don't eat... "Iie, iie I should really go change."

"You feeling okay son? I mean you slept in your clothes and everything."

I look down, noticing I'm already fully dressed. Well this just keeps getting better and better. " I-I was just tired that's all."

"Oh."

I turn, wanting to get out before Ryou comes down.

"Ryou, I know you're mad at me about this whole Yami Bakura thing, but I want you to get rid of that Millennium Ring for your own good. People who were abusive only stay abusive, they don't change."

I spun around quickly, my anger quickly getting the better of me. "Is that the only kind of person you can see me as?!"

"Yami Bakura?"

"You're not going to make this any easier for him are you!"

Ryou's POV

Oh no. They're yelling at each other! I totally forgot that dad was home! I shouldn't have sent Bakura down there alone. I ran downstairs, peering around the corner into the kitchen.

"What do you mean?"

"It's not about me! It's about Ryou!"

"Hell, of course it is, if you hadn't of hurt him in the first place then this wouldn't be about him! It would only be about you and you I can deal with!"

"Can't you just get past that already! If you want me to admit it then fine! I was wrong for hurting Ryou! You're the one who can't seem to accept the fact that I don't do that anymore! I would never hurt him again! Besides you're the one who didn't believe him when he told you I was hurting him! What kind of father are you?! You could have stopped me!"

"You son of a bitch!"

"Have you seen the scars on his wrists?!"

"What?"

"He tried to kill himself while you were gone."

"H-he what? Ryou would nev-"

"Hai he would old man, I saw the blood myself. I picked him up out of it, I carried him to his friend's house to get help, I'm the one who saved him, now where were you? Oh that's right, you were away, digging in the dirt!"

I couldn't take it anymore, I stepped around the corner and up next to Bakura. My dad suddenly grabbed me by the wrists, yanking me over and inspecting them. He looked at the scars, pure horror crossing his face.

"I can't believe this Ryou!" He held my wrists tighter, his grip starting to get painful. "How could you!"

"Dad you're hurting me!"

"Why didn't you call me!?"

Bakura grabbed a hold of my dad's wrist, applying enough pressure to make him let go of mine. He pushed me behind himself, acting as a barrier between me and my father. I grabbed onto his shirt, seeking protection from the person I least expected.

"Hurt him again and so help you."

"He's my son, you have no right to tell me what to do with him."

"Like I give a damn. Protecting him is the only thing I care about, even if it is from his own father."

"Stop it! Can't you two just be civil! Come and get me when you two can look at each other without glaring!" I walked out the kitchen, heading for the front door. I wasn't going to sit around and have them fight.

Bakura's POV

"Ryou wait!" I was suddenly grabbed by the back of my shirt and spun around, his fist connecting with my jaw. Another punch to my left eye. I didn't want to fight back, so I simply let him take his anger out on me. It's not like I didn't deserve this, I probably needed this beating , just like all the others. I let my memories resurface in my mind as I closed my eyes. I didn't wan to hurt Ryou's dad...so I put myself in a time and place where I wouldn't even think about fighting back.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Zaran slammed me face first into the wall, pinning me there. He grabbed a hold of my wrist, twisting my arm up behind my back, straining my shoulder joint, and pushed my wrist to the side at a horrible angle.

"I've broken your wrist before brat, don't make me do it again."

"P-please d-don't..."

He pulled back more on my arm and I screamed as I felt my shoulder dislocate. He spun me around to face him, sending another punch into my face, then throwing me to the ground .

" You're lucky I'm in a good mood...clean up this blood and hurry about it!"

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I don't know how long he spent beating the crap out of me, it was sunset when I woke up, he had apparently gone out to look for Ryou. I got up and went over to the sink, washing the blood off my face. I looked at my right arm, it was dislocated at my shoulder. Apparently my memory was in direct correlation to our little brawl. I grit my teeth, popping it back into place. Grabbing a dishtowel with my good arm, I make a makeshift sling for the bad one. Well better find Ryou. I walk out the house, concentrating my thoughts into the Millennium Ring. I'm surprised by his reaction, it can sense Ryou's father's soul , but my aibou's. I try to make a mental link with him, only finding the connection closed. Damn it Ryou, I know why you're doing this. Well then my hikari, I guess I have no choice. I turn in the direction my Ring indicates. Straight towards the north, heading for Ryou's father.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura: Well isn't that nice....

Ryou: I run away a lot...anyone else notice this?

Yugi: *looks up from his industrial size bag of chocolate* Notice what?

Yami: O.O Where did you get that!? Give me some!

Yugi: Iie!

Yami: *pounces on Yugi. dust cloud forms as they roll around the room.*

Tsuki: *blink blink* Ummm....

Ryou: Chocolate fight.

Tsuki: Oh...

Neko: *walks over* Hey chocolate! *starts eating it*

Yami & Yugi: Dust cloud stops* Hey that's ours!

Tsuki: ^_^ Review guys!


	7. Giving Out Trust

DISCLAIMER: Okay we all know what goes here, so let's all say it together.... Kuro Tsuki Tenshi does not own Yu-Gi-Oh! Very good boys and girls ^_^

Bakura: Yeah, sure, I'll go look for Ryou's dad and get the crap kicked out of me and then forgive everyone. For Ra's sake! Why don't I just go dance around in a field of flowers! This is wrong and- *bonk*

Tsuki: *puts shovel down* Hush up you. *Looks over to Ryou. * You like it right?

Ryou: Hai ^_^

Tsuki: Yugi?

Yugi: Hai ^_^

Tsuki: Neko? Yami?

Neko & Yami: *Busy on the floor laughing*

Yami: Bakura dancing around!

Neko: In a field of flowers no less!

Tsuki: *narrows eyes* Right, ignore them...

Bakura: *stands back up, rubbing his head* What was that for you baka kyuketsuki? What's wrong with you? *bonk* *passes out*

Tsuki: A lot dear, a lot...

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura's POV

I found him sitting on the street curb, head in his hands. I walk up, stopping directly in front of him.

"Why don't you just go off and die?"

"Can't. Technically immortal."

"I hate you."

"Well I hate you too, but if I want to find Ryou-"

"I'll find him."

"Looks like you're doing a great job here."

"I get the point."

I sit down next to him, mimicking his position with my good arm. "He's most likely in the park, he goes there sometimes, but being injured I can't bring him home by myself."

"Don't lie to me, you probably have no clue where he is."

"Look, this is my Ryou we're talking about, I wouldn't lie about something like that."

"Ryou really did want to kill himself didn't he?"

"Hai, because of both of us I suppose. You wouldn't believe him and well, we all know what I used to do to him."

"How'd you find me?"  
"My Millennium Ring can sense the soul of a person I concentrate on. Ryou cut our link so I can't sense him, but you, I can follow like a bloodhound."

"So he should be in the park?"

"If we're lucky. If not he's probably in the park, up in a tree where we can't reach him." I stand up and start walking towards the park. I stop briefly, looking over my shoulder . "Are you coming or not?"

"Hai."

When we reached the park we must have searched for an hour or more finding no trace of my hikari. I found myself starting to panic. Not being able to find him was bad enough, knowing he closed our link and not being able to sense even if he was alive was worse.

"You said he would be here."

"I said he might, and considering that I can't sense him and this would probably be the first place I would look, he probably went someplace else by now. Hell he could be back home by now."

"Is that a lie too?"

"Can't you just go five minutes without being hostile to me?"

"No. Your mere presence agitates me."

"Look I don't have time to deal with your attitude. I'm worried about him, maybe even more than you are. Plus I can't make a link with him, not to mention that he probably locked my soul room's door from the outside so even if I did go to my soul room, it wouldn't help."

"Your what?"

I rolled my eyes, his arrogance only provoking my anxiety to find my aibou. "Nevermind, you wouldn't understand." I sigh, trying to keep myself in check. "Where do you suppose we look next?"

"Well like you said he may have gone home. I propose we look there and if he isn't there we start calling his friends."

"Fine, let's go."

When we got back he wasn't there. We called all of his friends too, I was starting to slip into hysterics over the situation. It had started to rain too. Endless possibilities of what could happen to him raced through my head. I was pacing with worry, practically making a rut in the floor. I don't know how much more of this I can handle. Us insane people can only stand so much.

Ryou's POV

I don't know how .long I've been out. The only thing I really know is that my dad and aibou are fighting, and that I'm soaking wet. Maybe I shouldn't have closed my link to Bakura, but how else would he even think of asking my dad for help. I hope they're both okay. I pushed the door open quietly, surprised by the site of them, Dad was flipping through our phonebook, obviously looking for my friends' numbers, and Bakura was busy pacing a hole in our floor. I got worried when I saw the blood on my aibou's shirt, he was also bruised up and had his arm in a makeshift sling. I cleared my throat, getting their attention. Dad ran over, pulling me into a hug, Bakura stayed put .

"It's okay dad, I'm fine. Really I am, but why isn't he?" I pointed to my other's direction, obviously upset by the condition he was in.

"We had a disagreement."

I slipped away from him, and walked over to Bakura, looking him over. He smiled at he, trying to tell me that he was fine without using words. I looked back to my dad, he didn't have a single scratch on him. So I once again turned my attention back to my yami. "Why didn't you fight back?"

"You don't want me hurting people."

"But I don't want you getting hurt either."

"I'll be fine."

"Dad you didn't have to hurt-"

"He deserved it."

"Dad! Would you quit bearing grudges! He no longer hurts me, he doesn't intend to hurt me! He's not like that anymore! Just give him a chance!"

"Well he didn't give you a chance."

"Dad I am not having this conversation with you. The more you push away from him, the more you push away from me."

"Ryou he-"

"Iie dad. I'm not fighting you about this anymore. Come on aibou, I'll fix up your arm." I grabbed Bakura by his good arm, leading him down the hall to his room and into his bathroom.

Dad's POV (A/N: Don't ask, it's just needed)

The door slammed shut, them leaving me by myself in the living room. Damn Yami Bakura or whatever the hell he's called. Why does Ryou care for him so much? It's not like he's family or anything. I can't believe he would take his side over mine. Why is he so concerned, it's not like he couldn't fight back. I decided to let my curiosity get the better of me. I walked down the hallway and heard them talking. I had to find out what Ryou saw in Yami Bakura. I don't want to lose my son, he's all I have left. As I enter the guestroom I hear them talking.

"You should be glad that he cares for you my hikari."

"Why do you say that?"

"My father never cared about me."

"I though you didn't know your father."

"I knew who he was, but I didn't **know** him. In fact...I killed my own father."

Ryou looked at him in disbelief and I had to cover my mouth from letting out an audible gasp.

"Why?!"

"He used to come around sometimes, he would hit my mother, he would hit me, and I guess one day I just had too much, so I killed him. I slight his throat. How old was I? I don't know, maybe about six. That's why I say you're lucky. Your father cares for you, he loves you. You shouldn't fight with him because he's angry with me, or take my side because you feel obligated to."

"I-I don't feel obligated to. I care for you just as much as I care about dad. he just happens to be the wrong one this time."

"He's not wrong. I can understand why he has trouble understanding why you care. I mean look at the type of person was. Don't push this issue with him my hikari, and don't push him away either."

"But why? Why are you defending him? He beat the shit out of you and you're defending him, I don't understand."

"Why did you forgive me?"

Why is Yami Bakura defending me? Shouldn't he hate me by now?

"Tell me Ryou, why did you forgive me for everything I've done? I tortured you mentally since you were seven, physically since you were nine-"

"Stop it! Just stop it. It's in the past Bakura."

"Why can't this be too?"

"I wish it were."

I walk out into the hallway. I have to figure this out. "Ryou! Ryou can you come here for a minute?"

I heard some more whispers between them, the Ryou came out.

"Hai?"

I put my arm around his shoulders, leading him down the hall, away from the guestroom and Yami Bakura. "Ryou I need to know something. Why do you insist on caring about him?"

"Dad, he's my yami, I have to care about him."

"That's the point exactly son, you say you **have** to care about him, but do you **want** to?"

"Of course I want to, I love him like he's my own brother."

So that's it. My son's unconditional love for anyone and everyone. I sigh, thinking for a moment. "I'll try Ryou. I'll try to give him a chance, and to trust him."

He smiled. " You promise, you'll sit down and talk with him, get to know him?"

"I promise."

"And dad, don't mention what's happened in the past. I forgave him for it a long time ago, and I understand why he did what he did. Maybe you can to."

"Bring him out here, I think I should apologize."

That smile of his only grew brighter and he turned heading down the hallway to the guestroom. I sigh, wow this is going to be a hell of a time. Ryou came back a few minutes later with Yami Bakura in tow. I studied him for a moment. Looking as roughed up as he was he didn't seem like the heartless monster my nine-year-old would wake me up in the middle of the night to tell me about.

"Uh, Yami Bakura first off, I'd like to know...why didn't you fight back?"

He reached out for Ryou, ruffling my son's hair gently. "Ryou doesn't want me hurting anyone, and I'll do whatever he asks if it keeps him happy."

He was sincere, his voice held no mocking tone, no malice. I smiled slightly and extend my hand to him. "Second, I'd like to apologize for what I did to you, forgive me?"

He took my hand, giving me a slight smile. "If there's anything I've learned from Ryou, it's forgiving people for the bad they've done."

"Arigato."

%%%%%%%%%% Another Time Jump! Wheeeeeeeee! ^_^ %%%%%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

"Hey could you-holy shit!" 

I turned around, sandwich and soda in hand. "What?"

He picked up his dropped briefcase and set it on the table. "Could you remember to announce that it's you in the room before I walk in. You're always freaking me out, especially with that wild hair of yours."

"Gomen 'dad'. Hey wait a minute, what's wrong with my hair?"

"Everything. Are you eating?"

"Hai, why?"

"Ryou told me a while ago that you don't eat."

"Right, I don't **need** to eat but I like to sometimes."

"Oh."

"Hey dad, hey aibou. What are you two bickering about now?"

"Hello Ryou, and we're not bickering."

"He's insulting my hair."

"Kami forbid that."

"Hai, Ra forbid."

"Bakura why are you eating again, you ate two hours ago."

"That was two hours ago, and I used to be a slave, and you were the one who got me eating again."

"Dad, Bakura is messing with me again"

I looked over at my aibou, putting a childish tone to my voice. "Dad, he started it."

"You two. You're always either messing with each other or constantly eating. I'm surprised there's food for me to eat."

"You know I'm glad you two are getting along, it would be hell if you weren't."

"Son watch your language."

"It would me more than hell."

"Bakura, watch your language too."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsuki: Yay! Happiness! ^_^

Ryou: Yay! ^_^

Yugi: Yay!^_^

Neko: Ewwww Bakura, you went soft.

Yami: You mean softer dear...

Neko: Right, softer.

Bakura: Do I have to hurt you both?

Tsuki, Ryou & Yugi: Review! Onegai! *Yugi gives puppy eyes*


	8. Opening Up

DISCLAIMER: Holy crap I'm running out of mean things to say...damn it! Oh well, I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh!

Tsuki: And we continue on with our story. Just when you think things are better, they get worse. Anyway let me give you guys a basic rundown. This chapter involves Ryou exposing Bakura to more things and then focuses on Halloween and Thanksgiving. (I don't know if they have those in Japan but oh well) Oh yeah, don't forget the angst. 

Bakura: Ya know that seems to be the entire plot of your story.

Ryou: You're just now noticing?

Bakura: Leave me alone...

Yami: Yeah, remember he only has the education level of a fifth grader. *Snicker*

Neko: *smack* Bad Yami, leave him alone!

Yugi: *blink blink* I thought you were on Yami's side Neko-chan.

Neko: *whispers to Yugi* If I don't stand up for him and punish Yami my hikari thing will cry.

Yugi: Oh...

Tsuki: okay peoples, lots of POV switches. Oh and grab a bag of chips and a soda, it's gonna be long.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou's POV

"Why am I coming with you again? They're your friends, not mine."

I sigh, shaking my head. "Why don't you like them?"

"Because they don't like me."

"That's a stupid excuse, and they do like you."

He shoved his hands in his pockets, an annoyed expression on his face as we walked. Maybe I'm pushing too much again. I mean, he and dad are just now beginning to really get along well. I worry about these kinds of things. He's been mood swinging lately. I mean just yesterday he went totally off.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Aibou calm down, so what if you lost, everyone loses against Yami."

"That's not the point! He doesn't have to rub it in my face! And like that!"

"You're overreacting Bakura."

"I am not overreacting! I have not gone soft! I am not weak! And the Pharaoh has no right to say that I am!"

"I know he didn't mean it that way."

"You just don't understand do you!"

With that, my angry yami disappeared into his soul room.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Of course he came out later and apologized to me. He's been yelling a lot lately, punching walls even. That's why I'm worried.

"So where are we going?"

"To the arcade."

"Oh, and who's going to be here again?"

"Just us guys with yamis and Tristan and Joey are coming too. Why?

He sighed, looking at his shoes as he walked. "Just wondering."

We all met up at Yugi's house and continued on our way to the arcade. Bakura and Yami trailing behind the rest of us, Tristan and Joey holding some weird conversation about dirt. I tried to keep the fact that I was worried about Bakura to myself, but I guess I wasn't doing good enough.

"Ryou?"

I looked over to Yugi. "Hai?"

"Is everything all right?"

"Of course it is why wouldn't it be?"

"You seem worried, and Bakura is edgy. Ryou, he isn't...hurting you again is he?"

"Yugi don't say that. You know I would tell you if he were."

"I'm not so sure you would."

Bakura's POV

"Problems Bakura?"

"Some."

"Like what?"

"Yami since when did you care about my well being?"

"Because I don't see you at the scum-on-the-bottom-of-my-shoe level anymore. I have to admit it, you've done better than I expected."

"I'll take that as a compliment."

"Besides, us Ancient Egyptian Spirits have to stick together."

"So you want to know about my problems?"

"Hai."  
"I don't know, I've been having nightmares of my past and they make me..."

"Edgy, mean, withdrawn."

"So you've noticed."

"Hard to miss. Especially after yesterday. I really didn't mean for you to take it so hard."

"Yeah, well I overreacted. The lack of sleep has been getting to me too."

"Did you tell Ryou?"

"Iie, I don't think he needs to know."

"He has the right to."

"Look, he may be the other half of my soul, but he knows enough about my horrible, miserable past."

" He's eventually going to ask, and you'll have to tell him sooner or later."

"For Ra's sake, why?"

"Because he's your hikari, you're obligated to."

Ryou's POV

" What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well you didn't tell me before when he was beating you, though it was obvious."

"So what was I? The poor beaten child to all of you?"

I sped up a little, frustrated about Bakura and I couldn't believe what Yugi was saying.

"Ryou, everyone could tell."

"Well can you tell now? Does it look like I'm covered in bruises and walk with a limp?"

"Iie, look Ryou, I just worry about you. You're my friend, and I thought you would tell me if something were wrong."

"Sure, whatever." I shoved my hands into my pockets, and sped up a little more. Yugi stared at his feet the rest of the walk.

Bakura's POV

I suddenly got a rush of emotion from Ryou, I looked at him, and he seemed quite pissed. I looked back to Yami who also seemed to be getting some bad vibes from his aibou as well. Yami looked back at me, worried.

"What's wrong with our hikaris?"

"Let's find out."

We ran up past the bakas, each of us on one side of our respective aibous.

"Hey guys something wrong?"

"Nothing."

"Perfectly fine."

I looked back to Yami who only shrugged. When we got to the arcade, moods got no better. Yugi hung out with Yami playing something called air hockey, Ryou had secluded himself in the corner, playing the pinball machine thing, and well Idiots One and Two were hanging around and bothering me. Needless to say, I wasn't enjoying myself. So while these two bakas near me babbled about some electrical accidents they had, I kept an eye on Ryou while polishing my copy of the Millennium Ring with the edge of my shirt to keep myself entertained.

"What do you think Yami B?"

"Huh?"

"About Joey sticking a fork into the toaster to get his toast out. Would you do that?"

"First, don't call me that. Second, if I properly knew what a toaster was, I would give you an answer. Excuse me."

Ryou's POV

Bakura came over to me, leaning on the wall. "So...What's up?"

"Playing pinball." I really didn't want to be messed with right now.

"Yeah well, that's obvious enough. What's wrong with you and Yugi?"

"I told you it's nothing."

"Tell me."

"Iie."

"Oh lighten up." My aibou crossed his arms, hitting the side of the pinball machine, causing a tilt.

"Bakura!"

"Nani?"

"Why are you always hitting things!? It freaks me out! Next thing you know you'll hit me again!" With that I turned my back on my aibou, leaving the arcade.

Bakura's POV

Okay, that looked bad. Next thing I know I have Yami, Yugi, Joey and Tristan crowded around me, all of them looking none too happy. "Uh, guys, personal space."

"Tomb Raider have you been hitting that boy again? I know that you've been irritable but that's no reas-"

"Hey now, I haven't hit him. Walls hai, Ryou iie."

"Then why did he say that and then leave?"

"Probably so we wouldn't ask to see the bruises."

"Well I'm going after him."

Yugi turned, leaving the rest of us in the arcade.

"So how long have you been doing it this time Bakura?"

"Back off Wheeler, I've done nothing."

"Come with me Bakura, we'll have a talk."

Ryou's POV

I was leaning against a light pole, hands in my pockets, looking down at my shoes. That probably looked really bad, I totally overreacted.

"Hey Ryou, you okay?"

Just great, the person that I **don't** want to talk to right now. "I'm fine."

"You wanna show me?"

"Show you what?"

"The bruises, you said he hit you."

"I didn't say he hit me."

"We all heard you."

"Look, I said he's been scaring me, lay off Yugi. He's just been irritable lately. That doesn't mean he hit me." 

We both looked over to see Yami pushing Bakura away down the sidewalk. Yugi turned back to me, he looked at his shoes. 

"Ryou, I don't mean to pry, but you're one of my best friends. You and Bakura, you two have just gone through so many bad times. I just want to know you're safe."

"I am. Bakura looks out for me."

Bakura's POV

"Okay stop shoving Pharaoh!" 

"Tell me the honest to Ra truth Bakura!"

"I'm not hitting him!"

"All right then, I believe you, now calm down."

"Iie! All of you always accuse me of beating on him every time something goes wrong."

"Look, we all just worry about him."

"Yeah you all worry about Ryou, everyone worries about him, well guess what, I do too!"

"And I know that, and we also worry about you as well."

"Fuck off Yami! Protecting him from myself is just too hard! No one knows when I might snap! Not even me! Just seal me back into the fucking Ring! What were you thinking when you didn't do it the first time you saw me!?"

Yami glared at me, then swiftly backhanded me across the face, stopping my ramblings.

"Is that what you want Bakura? Running away from Ryou, that's what you'd be doing, You're supposed to protect him, not run from him."

"I can't protect him from myself."

"You have yourself so convinced that you'll hurt him again that you're just plain scared!"

"I'm not scared! Being scared is a weakness!"

"Everyone has a weakness Bakura, hell I admit that even I do. If being scared is a weakness to you then face your fear and don't be afraid anymore!"

"You don't understand! You never will understand!"

"Yes I do! I've hit Yugi before!"

Ryou's POV

Yugi and me sat on the curb, still talking. 

"You know Ryou, it's not all perfect between Yami and me either."

"What are you talking about?"

"Once before, Yami...he...uh he hit me."

"Yugi stop trying to make me feel better. Yami doesn't hit people, especially you. Sure he mind crushes them occasionally, but he doesn't hit them."

"Iie, really, when we first uh 'met' he got angry and slapped me, saying "You worthless trash, you bow in the presence of the Pharaoh.". It scared me, I still get scared when I think about it."

"Hikaris..."

We both looked up at Yami.

"We should talk."

And we did. We talked about Yami's rough start with Yugi, how Bakura was having nightmares and how he was still scared he might hurt me again. Yugi apologized to Yami for telling me their secret, and I told my aibou that he needed to stop worrying about hurting me because I knew he wouldn't. He was still angry with himself, and he never told me what him and Yami were talking about. We all went back into the arcade, pretending nothing had happened and resumed our day. We walked home soon after, not really talking to each other. 

"Gomen for the way I've been acting Ryou."

"Iie, it's all right, I understand Kura."

He stopped, looking at me strangely. "What did you just call me?"

Was I wrong to call him that? Maybe he didn't really hear me. Yeah, don't upset him Ryou, just tell him something different. "I called you Bakura, it's either that or aibou. What else would I call you?"

He reached out and put his hand on my shoulder, stopping me. "Iie, you called me Kura."

I bit my bottom lip slightly, my hands fidgeting with the Ring. "I-is it wrong that I called you that?"

He smiled at me, then put his hands in his pockets and continued to walk. I continued after him, noticing his somewhat spaced out expression. 

"A-aibou? Daijobu ka?"

"Daijobu hikari. I was just...remembering."

"About?"

He smiled a little. "Back in Egypt, when I was really little, maybe about three years old, my mother and my friends called me Kura. I even referred to myself as Kura."

"W-well if it makes you sad, t-then I won't call you that."

"Iie, iie I like being called Kura, I guess it sort of makes me feel secure in a way. If that's what you want to call me, well then go ahead. And onegai don't be nervous about it."

"Nervous? W-ho says I'm n-nervous?"

"You're stuttering, you do that when you get nervous or scared. I guess it's a normal reaction around me by now."

"Iie, it's not. So what were you like as a kid?"

"A lot like you, but I'll tell you later, I'm kinda hungry right now."

"You're always kinda hungry. Come on I'll make some lunch then teach you how to play my Play Station so you won't be bored when I'm at school."

"Your what?"

I took off running, laughing happily.

"Ryou wait up!"

"Hurry up Kura Kura!"

%%%%%% Don't you just love the time jumps ^_^ %%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

"So you dress up as things you aren't, get candy, eat the candy and get sick, and party for only **one** night?"

"Hai, that's basically what Halloween is all about Kura, and you're coming to Yugi's party with me."

"Oh come on, don't make me dress up, Yami will be there."

"It'll be fun, besides Yugi is making Yami dress up as well and I'm sure you two will pick at each other all night long. Now doesn't that sound fun?"

"Damn it, it does."

"Good, so what you going as?"  
"Uh me?"

"You can't go as you. That defeats the purpose."

"So I'll go as insane me, that's scary."

"Exactly why you can't go as insane you. Insane you scares me so you can't go as insane you."

"That's a mouthful. Fine then, what do you suggest?"

"Well, I have an idea, a simple one since you don't really want to dress up, but we'll have to dye your hair black."

%%% Just a small hour one%%%%

"It's still a bluish color..."

"Nothing another box won't fix."

"News flash, we've been through four boxes already."

"I let you watch too much TV."

So after six boxes of hair dye that my hair was violently reacting to, I had jet-black hair. Okay so we or rather Ryou had decided that I was going as a sort of semi-human demon thing. Easy for me because my pale complexion and now black hair fit that description perfect. So I dressed in all black and now Ryou was trying to talk me into letting him put these little pieces of plastic called 'contacts' into my eyes to change their color. What will these modern mortals come up with next?

"Come on, they won't hurt and they're not prescription so it's won't screw up you're vision."

"Per what? For Ra's sake use the little words that my low education level allows me to understand."

"Just shut up and let me do this."

"Look, last time I checked it was wrong to poke yourself in the eye with a piece of plastic."

"Times have changed."

"Ra have I found that one out the hard way."

"It'll make you look bad ass and probably allow you to freak Joey and Tristan out more, and don't deny it, I know you like scaring the living hell out of them."

"Fine."

Ra I trust him too much, he got me to sit down and proceeded to try and stick these things in my eyes.

"You have to keep your eyes open."

"How can I when you're sticking your finger in it?"

"Just stare straight ahead and don't blink."

"I'm insane for letting you do this."

So we finally got those in, which changed my brown eyes to blood red. Ryou was going as a vampire, fangs and all. I was informed that Yugi was also going to be a vampire and Yami was what else, a Pharaoh. Oh this should be a night to remember. We were coming early to help Yugi set the party up. We were soon on our way over there.

"Stop rubbing your eyes, they'll settle and get comfortable."

"Plastic things in your eyes will **never** be comfortable."

"But at least you look bad ass."

"Quit sucking up."

%%%%And it's a 15 minute walk to Yugi's house%%%%

Ryou's POV

The door opened to a smiling vampire Yugi and an annoyed looking Pharaoh Yami.

"Hey guys!"

Bakura stared at Yami, Yami at Bakura, both not saying a word. He hasn't laughed yet, something's wrong. 

"Uh aibou?"

// Hush Ryou, I'm trying to restrain myself here and it is very hard. //

Yugi tugged at Yami's cape. "Hey, anybody home in there?"

Yami finally broke out into a fit of laughter, making my own aibou narrow his eyes.

"You look so damn stupid like that!"

"This is why I wasn't born with black hair like normal Egyptians, I would look stupid. Then again, you on the other hand, you seem like you would just love to catch the first boat back to Egypt and command a pyramid to be built."

"Hai, and I know exactly who would build it you low life tomb rai-"

"Aibou!"

"You're not Pharaoh, so don't even think you can comm-"

"Both of you stop."

"But he looks so-"

"Hush."

"At least I'm not trying to relive my past, stupid Phar-"

"Kura, we've only been here five minutes don't make me take you home."

"What am I? A child?"

And of course Yami was sent into another outburst of laughter over Bakura's nickname.

"What's so funny now aibou?!"

"He called him Kura!"

"Drop it idiot Pharaoh."

"Yami go inside, come on guys."

"Ha Kura, that's a great one."

We followed Yugi inside and into the kitchen. 

"So it's Kura now?"

"Iie, only Ryou is allowed to call me that. It's still **Ba**kura to the rest of you."

"Okay, **Ba**kura." Yami said as he was sent into another fit of laughter and my aibou again narrowed his eyes. That makes me feel privileged to call him that I guess. So I helped Yugi with the food as he sent Yami and Bakura to set up the DDR. (A/N: Ah DDR. **Japan without DDR is a sin!** I myself have DDR dance pads ^_^) 

"You know I can't believe you talked Bakura into doing this."

"It was easy, I told him he could pick at Yami, Joey and Tristan."

"That's one way to convince him."

"You're sure they can set up DDR without killing themselves or each other?"

"They'll be fine. Yami has the instructions."

"Hope you have enough money to buy a new Play Station then."

%%Okay so about now, the party is in full swing. Ya know the whole, DDR, candy, and punch stuff%%%

Bakura's POV

Okay, I admit it, Halloween isn't as bad as I thought it was. Food, humiliation, spiked punch. Wait a minute, spiked punch? Oh well, guess tonight will be more fun. I thought I saw Joey doing something suspicious.

"Hey Tomb Raider, does this punch taste funny to you?"

"Of course not my dear Pharaoh. Why would it?" Yup, loads of fun. I give everyone ten more minutes, maybe three.

"Didn't we have something like this back in Egypt?"

"Yeah, a festival for Osiris and Anubis, excluding the costumes and DDR of course."

"Well at least one of us remembers..."

"Oh yeah that's right, you don't remember. Well it was fun as hell."

"Go on."

"What do you mean 'go on'? What do I look like your memory bank?"

"Look, I'll deposit five dollars."

"Fine, fine. Everyone partied, you had to attend of course and sit and look regal, and well **not** party."

"Sounds like fun..."

"Iie, seriously, you weren't allowed to party. People wanted you to though. I swear by Ra, beautiful women in revealing clothing begging to be in your bed surrounded you."

"Oh really, and what did you do at these festivals?"

"Well my friends and me raided all of Egypt's tombs while **your** idiot guards got drunk and well, partied with the rest of us."

"How come I wasn't allowed to party!"

"Pharaohs can't have fun."

"Fuck you, you're making this up."

"Really, it was quite sickening and-"

Just then something bumped into me, violating my personal space, I looked behind me and down a little to see not my aibou, but the Pharaoh's, smiling weirdly and might I say drunkenly up at me. Yup see, drunk already.

"Ohayo aibou."

I raised an eyebrow at his statement. 

"Yugi you feeling okay?"

"Uh, that's your aibou, not me." I pointed to Yami and the boy stepped between us, looking back and forth at us.

"Wow! You two could pass for brothers!"

And with a cheerful laugh, hiccup and slight stumble, he ran off to join his friends once more.

"Well that's a sickening thought."

"I'll agree with you on that one. Was he drunk?"

"They all are, look at them."

"And you knew this?"

"For about a half hour now."

"And you didn't tell me?!"

"A little alcohol never hurt anyone."

"But hangovers do."

"So they'll cry and puke a little in the morning then fall asleep again."

"Yeah, but you have to take Ryou home."

"Damn it, you're right. That's the second time someone has talked me into something tonight."

"Shut up and help me break up this party."

"You're no fun."

I stood there for a while, watching Yugi and Ryou run around the room, Tristan passed out on the couch, Joey following Yami around, asking stupid questions. In fact the little hikaris were so drunk, they ran smack into each other, both falling on the floor only to laugh and get back up.

%%%%%%20 minutes later, after Yami and Bakura have broken up the party%%%%%%%

Okay, I learned a new lesson tonight. Drunk people punch really hard. I haven't had a nosebleed in what three thousand and something odd years? So now here I am, carrying a drunk Ryou home. He shifts every now and then, giggles from some alcohol-induced dream. Good thing his father isn't home, he'd kill me for letting him get drunk. Was quite a sight to see though. So maybe hanging out with Ryou's friends and letting people past my defenses isn't such a bad thing. Of course I would never admit that to anyone, that would make me wrong. Ra must he squirm so much? 

New idea, I put him in his soul room and take control of his body. Alcohol infused blood rushed through me, instantly giving me a slight buzz, just enough to make me tipsy. I stumbled along, trying to keep from falling as I fought off Ryou's blood. Now I can hold my liquor pretty well, and his blood has me stumbling, he's smashed. Oh by Ra is he smashed. Funny thing about alcohol, it makes me think too much. Things that I'd rather not remember, and things that brought tears to my eyes. They won't fall of course, I won't let them. I've come too far to cry over the past anymore.

I finally made it back to the house, can't recall how long it took me. I made my way up to Ryou's room and relinquished control of his body back to him, helping him into bed. Oh he'll have a fun morning.

%%%%%%%%%%Time Jump! November! %%%%%%%%%%

Ryou's POV

Thanksgiving, one of my favorite holidays. Why? Because Dad is home and stays until after New Year's. It's gonna be different this year though. This year, we have Kura with us. I remember back when we weren't...how should I say...on good terms with each other. He used to watch us celebrate holidays through my eyes, but he never truly understood them. I think he still doesn't. Anyway, I bet I'll be explaining that to him too, but explaining things to him is kind of hard. Okay, okay it's **really** hard. Dad and me are sitting in the kitchen, eating lunch, talking about the up coming holiday. We've decided it'll just be the three of us this year. He wants to include my aibou. Kura comes into the room, yawning and stretching, obviously he's just woken up from one of his many naps. I swear that man sleeps like a cat does, he 'power naps' all day long and is up half the night. 

"Power napping again Bakura?"

"What else am I supposed to do?"

"You used to go for walks."

"Yeah and then I learned about the autumn thing and it got chilly and windy and so I don't really like it outside anymore."

"It's that Egyptian blood of yours."

"Dad, quit making excuses for him."

"So what's all this planning and thinking going on?"

"How do you know about that?"

My aibou tapped his temple. "The mental link Ryou and I share, we can hear each other's thoughts when we don't control it. And I must say hikari that you think very loudly."

"Oh, gomen Kura."

"Of course I don't understand a word of it but I'm just going to smile and nod and try to play along."

"Let's see how can I explain this to you?"  
"Let me Ryou. You see Bakura, Thanksgiving is like the festivals that were held back in Egypt for the Goddesses Heset and Renenutet."

" Oh well that makes things crystal clear then."

"Yeah, but now I don't understand."

"Heset and Renenutet were our patron Goddesses of food, drink, and the harvest. So essentially during their festivals we feasted and partied. One of those eat, drink, and be merry things. And quit writing down everything I say." He looked at Dad who was in fact, scribbling down what Kura was saying.

"Gomen, I'm an archeologist on Ancient Egypt, I can't help myself."

"Dad, no work, remember?"

"Right, no work at all. Even if Bakura rambles about Egypt."

"I don't ramble, that's the Pharaoh's job."

"He's referring to Yami right?"

"Hai."

Hai, Dad knew about Yami. He bugs him about Egypt just as much as he bugs Kura. The funny thing is, he's perfectly fine with all of this like Yugi's grandfather is. Go figure that. Well since I don't have to explain that to Kura I guess I can worry about tomorrow then. I have to cook. Why me? Because Dad is used to only cooking TV dinners and well Kura...he can't even boil water without making a mess or hurting himself or screwing up. How that's possible I have no clue, I have to ask him that.

%%%%%%%%%%Another one! Next Day!%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

Oh by Ra why can't I wake up like this every morning. Well I think it's morning. I poke my head out from under the covers, sniffing at the air. Yup Ryou's definitely cooking. He's the only one put of the three of us that can, so it has to be him. I threw off my three comforters and grabbed my leather jacket, pulling it on. I hate cold, and they won't let me turn the heat up. I made my way downstairs, slinking into the kitchen. Food jackpot.

"Don't you touch anything aibou."

Damn it, caught. "I wasn't."

"Then get your hands away from the food. In fact put them in your pockets."

"Who are you? My mother?"

"Don't be cranky just because you can't eat and you're cold."

"Quit picking at me."

"Morning guys. Bakura do you have the extra comforters?"

"Hai, of course I do."

"Where else would they be Dad, all he does is complain about the cold."

"Well excuse me for being Egyptian."

"Okay you guys that's enough."

So the day pretty much went smoothly, well I think. Ryou made me go sit in the living room and watch TV. When it was time for dinner we all sat down and ate. Ryou's Father was right about it too, it was just like our festival for Heset and Renenutet. Plenty of food, not to mention alcohol.

"You sure you don't want any son, I'm actually letting you this time."

"Uh no Dad I think I'll pass."

I stifle some laughter, I know why he doesn't want any. He wouldn't after that hellish morning. I had woken up to the sound of Ryou retching. Obviously he was having a private party in the bathroom with his hangover. No wonder he didn't want anything to do with alcohol.

"It's not like you'll get drunk off of one glass."

"I know, I uh just don't like the taste really."

"Cool, more for me."

"Iie, not more for you."

"Why not? I'm twenty-one. Okay, I'm over twenty-one."

"Tough luck, as long as you live under my roof, you follow my rules."

"I hate that line."

"Just drop it Kura, you won't win."

"Have a glass of wine and I'll stop."

"Oh fine."

"All right then a toast. Ummm, to family, friends, and food."

"And heaters."

"And to change."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsuki: Knocking back chapter eight. Feels good.

Neko: It should, you took so long...

Ryou: She has an excuse though.

Yugi: Yeah school.

Yami: That's not an excuse.

Bakura: Hai it is, it's just a bad one.

Tsuki: Anyway review guys, ja ne till next chapter! ^_^

Yugi: Review ^_^

Neko: Okay cut the happy off.


	9. Different From Last Year

DISCLAIMER: Tsuki: *all sleepy and kawaii like* I don't own Yu-G-ZzZzZzZzZz 

Neko: *snaps fingers* Come on hikari, finish it. 

Tsuki: *opens one eye* Gi-Oh! *yawn* ZzZzZzZz

Tsuki: Yay we're nearing the end!

Bakura: Arigato merciful Ra!

Ryou: Don't act like that, it was a fun story

Neko: Don't celebrate yet Bakura you still have this and a whole other chapter to get through.

Bakura: *Eye twitch* Shut...up....

Yami: Haha you have to be tortured more.

Yugi: Be nice aibou.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Ryou's POV

// Ryou. //

Oh Kami. How early is it? I'm sleeping here. / Later Kura...I'm on vacation, let me sleep in. /

// What if it's important? //

/ How important is important? /

// Is the phrase "the world has come to an apocalyptic end" important enough? //

"Nani!?" I shot up, to see Bakura sitting on the end of my bed, staring worriedly at me.

// Hush, your dad is still asleep. //

/ Why do you think the world has come to an apocalyptic end? /

// The sky is falling... //

/ Is it raining again? We've been through this... /

// I know what rain is, this is different. //

I smiled at him, the tone of his thought matching the look on his face. / How is it different? /

// Uh, like white ash. //

/ Oh. / I lay back down, intending to go back to sleep only to have my aibou poke me. / Hai? /

// What do you mean "Oh."? If you hadn't noticed I'm in distress here. //

/ Aibou, it's just snow. /

// Wow thanks for elaborating... //

/ Snow is what happens to rain when it freezes. So essentially it's rain, so stop worrying. /

// Rain...can...freeze? //

/ Hai aibou! Go back to sleep! /

// For Ra's sake, gomen... //

For crying out loud, I can't make it any simpler than that.

// Aibou? //

/ What now?! /

// I was only going to ask if I could borrow an extra sweater. //

/ Fine whatever. Just let me sleep. /

Bakura's POV

Pissy hikari...I'm in distress and cold and all he does is tell me not to worry and goes back to sleep. How the hell am I supposed to know what snow is? I'm Egyptian! I don't know about cold things? And I can't go back to sleep. I went to the window, leaning my head against the cold glass. Snow huh? I wonder how Yami is faring...Oh well, let's find out. I picked up the phone, quickly dialing. A sleepy Yugi answers.

"What?"

"Well that's not a very polite way to answer the phone."

"Oh, hi Bakura...what ya want?"

"Put Yami on."

"Yami it's for you!"

Yeah, yell for him Yugi...right in my ear!

"Hello?"

"Enjoying this lovely weather?"

"Screw you Bakura."

"So what explanation did you get?"

"About what?"

"Look out the window."

"Okay, whatever hold on."

I plopped down on the couch, waiting...waiting...Gods I hate waiting.

"Holy Ra...."

"Yeah, it's called snow as I've been informed. Apparently it's what happens when rain freezes."

"It should never be cold enough outside to freeze things...that should only happen in the freezer thing. Send me back to Egypt any day."

"Okay so we'll put you in a box and mail you there."

I walked up to some little box on the wall that I saw Ryou playing with one day. It's supposed to control the temperature of the house or some such nonsense.

"Truth be told, I'm **making** me an Egypt."

"You're making an Egypt?"

"Hai, see I saw Ryou play with this little box to make the house colder so I figured it I push the lever the other way it would make it hotter."

"And this works?"

"I have a balmy Egypt."

"Only balmy?"

"I'm still working on it."  
"Well enjoy your heat Tomb Raider, you know the hikaris will drag us out in this "snow" stuff."

"Is that a bet?"

"Sure, ten bucks says they drag us out."

"Ryou will not get me out of this house, I will be winning for a change. Ja ne Pharaoh."

I hung up the phone and walked over to the desk, grabbing the dictionary. Let's see, winter: the usually coldest season of the year occurring between autumn and spring...really. Well I call it: Hell Frozen Over.

Rain should not freeze...at all. Ryou comes down the hall, rubbing at his eyes.

"I thought you were sleeping."

"Thanks to you, I can't get back to sleep. Who were you talking to?"

"Yami. What's for breakfast?"

"Why is it so hot in here?"

"It's not hot, it's balmy."

"Did you touch the thermostat?"

"The what?"

"The little box that controls the house temperature?"

"Iie." Of course I touched it. "So breakfast..."

"Make yourself something."

"You **want** me to burn down the house don't you."

He sighed, walking into the kitchen. "Fine, what do you want?"

"Something with cinnamon in it."

My aibou rolled his eyes. "Of course, cinnamon. Look if you come out in the snow with me, I'll make you some cinnamon pancakes."

"Uh, why do I have to go out in the snow?"

"Because you've never experienced it before and as your aibou it's my job to expose you to new things."

"But cold..."

"Well if you're not going outside-"

"Wait a minute!" 

Snow, cinnamon. Snow, cinnamon. Snow, cinnamon Ra damn my love of cinnamon! I sighed, sitting down at the kitchen table. "Fine, I'll go outside."

"Good."

Damn you Game King...you win again.

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ryou's POV

"See it's not so bad."

"I can't feel my toes."

He shook his head, shaking the snow out of his hair. "Or my nose, or my fingers."

"You'll get used to it."

"I'm Egyptian, I can't get used to the cold, it's in my genes."

"Quit reading my biology book. And that's a bad excuse."

"I'm sticking to it."

I shook my head. My aibou, even with three layers of clothing he complains.

"Ryou! Bakura!"

I turned, seeing Yugi coming down the sidewalk followed by Yami. I waved, chuckling a little at the sight of a very pissed, obviously very cold Yami.

"Hey guys, what brings you by?"

"Well, I wanted to see if you had dragged Bakura out of the house. I had to bribe Yami to come out."

Yami walked up to my aibou, holding out his hand. "Pay up."  
Kura dug into his pocket, pulling out a ten dollar bill and shoved it into Yami's waiting hand. "Here, you win."

"As if there were any doubt."

"What are you two doing?"  
"Nothing."

"Well he's doing nothing, I'm celebrating a victory."

"Screw you."

"No thanks."

"That's a disgusting remark Pharaoh."

"You offered."

I picked up a handful of snow and formed it into a ball, throwing it into the back of Kura's head. "Oh both of you stop."

"Ah! Aibou! You said you wouldn't throw this stuff at me!"

"Don't be such a baby Kura."

Yugi bent down, making his own snowball and threw it at Yami, hitting him dead in the face.

"Yugi!"

"Gomen Yami, I couldn't resist."

Yami gathered some snow of his own, making two snowballs, handing one to my aibou. They exchanged smirks, then looked to us.

"Oh hikaris."

"Run Yugi! Run fast!"

"Aibou snowball fight!"

We took off running, dodging flying snowballs.

Bakura's POV

"You never listen Ryou, how many times do I have to tell you that payback is a bitch!?"  
"Two hundred and sixteen!"

I stopped my snowball barrage, thinking for a moment. "Nani?"

Yami shoved me forward. "Think about it later Tomb Raider, we have hikaris to bury neck deep in the snow."  
"Right...here, you run around that side of the house and I'll run around this side and we'll catch them in the backyard."

"For once you've had a brilliant idea."

So we took our opposite directions. I rounded the back corner of the house, only to have a snowball smashed into my face.

"Pharaoh!"

"I missed..."

"You missed?! I'll show you missed!"

I shoved him down face first into the snow, putting my boot on his back to hold him down. Next thing I know I'm tackled and held down in the snow by our two hikaris. Yami stood, holding a handful of snow and stared down evilly at me.

"Don't you dare."

He grabbed the front of my coat, shoving the snow down all three layers of my clothing. I jumped up out of our aibous' grasp, trying to shake the snow from my clothing.

"Oh by holy Ra! You traitor! You're supposed to be on my side!"

"Yes well, working with a thief just isn't my style."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"Yami, we need to get going now."

"Yeah, I need to go to the store anyway."

"Well then, sayonara guys."

"Actually Yami, you think you could stay here with Kura while I'm out? You know to keep him company?"

"Me need company?"

"Hai I don't want you to get lonely."

"What makes you think I'm lonely?"

"I just worry okay."

"Have I ever told you that you worry too much about me?"  
"Hai, everyday."

"Well it's up to you Yami, either way I have to get back to the game shop."

"Sure Ryou, I'll stay with Bakura. Yugi get on back to the shop."

"Okay, sayonara aibou!" 

"Arigato Yami! I'll be back in a few hours. Bye guys!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

I throw my cards down on the table and lean back in my chair. "Eight times. Eight times I have dueled you and eight times you've won."

"Arigato Tomb Raider."

"Very funny Pharaoh."

"Hey, I'm the Game King, what can I say?"

"How about you don't say anything?"

"And leave your dignity intact?"

We smile at each other, a rare sight indeed.

"I'm still going to get your Puzzle one day."

"Iie, you're not."

"Hai I am."

I pick up my cards, shuffling them then draw my hand as he does the same.

"Iie, you're not."

"Hai, I am."

"Steal my Puzzle and I'll smash your Ring."

"Smash my Ring and your Puzzle will turn back into pieces."

"I'll throw the Ring off a cliff."

"And before it hits the ground I'll have your Puzzle melted down. Marvelous, we'll kill each other."

I stare at him, this Pharaoh sitting across from me, reflecting on the friendship that's developed between us. A strange one, but a friendship no less. Who would of thought I'd be friends with the Pharaoh. He lays his cards down, returning my glance.

"Your move Bakura."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Ryou's POV

I set a mug of hot chocolate down in front of my aibou, then sat down across the table from him.

"I'm never going out there again you know."

"It was fun and you know it. Drink your hot chocolate, it will make you feel better. By the way how was your time with Yami?"

"We dueled twenty-one times and I lost every one. But I had fun none the less."

"See, I knew you would enjoy some company."

I heard the front door open and close, signaling that my dad was home. He came into the kitchen, sitting down at the table with us. 

"Hey boys."

"Hey dad."

Dad looked over at Kura, who was practically chugging his hot chocolate.

"What's his deal?"

"He's cold....still."

"He's cold? It feels like sweltering hot Egypt at noon in here."

Kura set down his mug, squinting one eye at dad. "It's balmy."

"I took Kura out into the snow today."

"He got you out into the snow Bakura?"

"He threatened me."

"Hardly, it was more of a bribe than a threat. I can't help it if he fell for it."

"I didn't fall for anything!"

"Don't start boys. Oh Ryou, I need you to help me get the rest of the Christmas stuff down from the attic."

"We need to get a tree too."

"Well why don't you take Bakura and the truck and go pick out a tree while I finish up the house?"

"Uh hello, Ancient Egyptian Spirit over here."

"That's right , you don't know what Christmas is. Hey dad you got any Egyptian Gods for this one."

"I'm afraid not Ryou."

"Okay then Kura, Christmas is basically the day Jesus was born."

"And he would be?"

"The son of God."

"Which God?"

"Our only God."

"You only have one?"

"Hai."

"Why?"

"That's the way it is."

"So what's the significance of the tree? You have plenty of them in the back yard."

"Those aren't Christmas trees."

"Oh Ra forbid aibou. What does a Christmas tree look like then?"

"Well first we have to go back out into the snow..."

"Iie aibou!

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

Oh but I can't resist my aibou...even if it means going back out into the frozen rain of death! Why? Because I can't even win against him. So there we were standing in a place full of trees, staring at them.

"How's this one?"

"It doesn't have strong branches."

I growled to myself. "What about that one?"

"It's not full enough in the back."

"Who looks at the back Ryou?"

"I will."

I crossed my arms as he walked up to yet another Ra forsaken tree. "This one is good."

"It looks exactly like the last three!"

"It has to be perfect Kura."

"Why Ryou?"

"Because dad is here and it's my first Christmas with you."

He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. Now how can I resist that? I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Okay aibou, if that's the one you want."

"Right, so I'll go pay the guy and then you can help me carry it to the pick up truck."

"Help you? I can take this tree on by myself."

"Iie, you can't."

"It's just a tree."

"You'll crush yourself."

"I will not."

Ryou walked away and I turned to face the tree. 

"Right, like a tree is going to stop the Great Tomb Raider Bakura. How could a tree stop me when the Pharaoh's **elite** guards couldn't lay a finger on me and they had thumbs mind you."

I continue to mumble to myself and took hold of the tree, then yanked as hard as I could.

"Nani? It only moved a few inches?!"

I yanked again, only to have my hands slip and I fell back into the snow, the tree falling on me.

"Damn it...Oh Gods...my back, ow...bad."

I pushed the tree up and stood, rubbing at my back, only to see Ryou coming towards me.

Ryou's POV

I sighed and looked at my aibou, who was obviously trying to act like nothing happened when I **saw** what happened anyway.

"It crushed you didn't it?"

"Shut up Ryou."

I chuckled. Kura then stood straight up, pointing a finger in my face.

"I have decided you're going to help me."

"Can't do it by yourself can you?"

"Humor me aibou."

"Oh fine."

"So all we have to do is put this thing in the pickmeup truck and we can go home and I can sit in front of the fire right?"

I burst into a fit of laughter, my sides hurting. 

"Nani?"

"Its not a 'pickmeup truck' aibou, its a pick up truck."

"You know what, I don't care if it's against your free will anymore. Every time you laugh from now on, I'm going to invade your thoughts and probe your mind so I don't make a fool of myself and say words like pickmeup truck anymore!"

"Calm aibou, remember that word?"

"Iie."

"Well you best remember that word cause if you don't, you won't get any presents for Christmas."

"Presents? There are presents involved."

"What did you think the tree was for?"

"Uh shade ?"

"Iie, you put the presents under the tree."

"Why?"

"Come on aibou I'll explain it on the way home, now help me get this tree into the what truck?"

"The Ra damned **pick up **truck!"

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

"So why are we hanging shiny dangly things on the tree?"

"Because that's how it works."

"So explain this present thing to me again."

"You exchange presents with the people you care about."

"But you wrap them up in colorful paper, shove them under a tree and forbid everyone to touch them until a certain day."

"Hai."

"I don't get any of this."

"So what if this doesn't make sense to you, you can just enjoy it anyway."

%%%%%%%That night%%%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

I got out of bed and walked around the house, looking at all the decorations and such. Everything was so happy and inviting. We had nothing like this back in Egypt. Hell, feels like not even a person like me should be in this house. Just a year ago this house...this house wasn't like this at this time of year. And I suppose I was the cause of it, I never allowed Ryou to really live and enjoy this.

My sight fell on the brightly lit and heavily decorated tree. I remember the corner that it's sitting in all to well, to the right of the fireplace. That's the corner that I usually backed Ryou into and beat him until he either stopped screaming and crying or until he simply passed out.

The garland on the banister of the stairs, which's what he busted his lip against as I threw him down the stairs. 

The wreath on the door, that's the door I stormed out the night I slashed his father's arm open. And the door I carried him through when he tried to kill himself.

Where the Christmas cards stand...that's where one of my bloody handprints used to stain the wood of the table.

My gaze returns to the fireplace. Oh the fireplace, that's a place I would like to forget. One time I shoved Ryou back into it so hard his head hit the brick and he was unconscious for almost two hours and I had just simply left him there bleeding on the floor. And the poker one uses to position the logs...I've beaten him with that as well.

I scan up to the mantle, noticing two red and white things hanging from it. They kinda resemble my aibou's socks, well not the color but the shape anyway. And each one has one word printed across the top, one says 'Dad' and the other 'Ryou'.

"What are you doing out here Bakura?"

I turned quickly, seeing Ryou's father. "Oh, well nothing really. Just thinking a bit."

"About what?"

I really hate that question. If I wanted you to know I would have told you when you first asked. "Nothing in particular, just about Ryou mostly."

"What about him?"

For Ra's sake, can't I have some personal privacy. "Well like, what I should get him. Any ideas?"

"Bakura, I can't tell you what to get him. Christmas presents come from the heart."

"I guess you're right, I'll go think about it more. Arigato uh...I don't really know what to call you..." 

"Just call me dad. After all, you are a part of this family. Oyasuminasai Bakura."

"Oyasuminasai."

%%%%%% Next morning.%%%%%%%%%

Ryou's POV

I walk into the kitchen, sitting down at the breakfast table. "Morning dad."

"Well son, you're up early."

"I didn't sleep very well, Kura was having nightmares."

"What does that have to do with you?"  
"Sometimes our mind link transfers dreams."

"Must have been after I talked to him."

"Huh?"  
"Oh he was up late last night walking around the house. You know, he's been acting funny the past two days."

"He's probably just adjusting. No big deal."

My Millennium Ring glowed, and Kura appeared next to me, yawning. He pats me on the head and sits down at the table, lying his head down on his crossed arms. 

"No wonder I had your dreams last night...you were sleeping in your soul room."

"Oh gomen, you should have woken me up."

"It's okay, but why were you in there?"

My aibou shrugged, lifting his head from the table.

"You two hungry?"

"Why are you asking dad, you know you can't cook."

"I can try."

Kura stood up, pushing his chair in. "I don't get hungry." He left the kitchen and laid down on the sofa in front of the fireplace.

"What's his deal lately?"

"That's where I found him last night, in front of the fireplace."

"He said he was thinking about you."

I let out and exasperated sigh. "Oh he's been thinking too hard again, it always depresses him when he does that."

"Well, I have to go out Christmas shopping for you two, why don't you talk to him while I'm gone."

"He was never really one for talking. He usually wants to be left alone when he's like this."

"Well maybe you shouldn't leave him alone this time."

"It's not like he can do anything to hurt himself, he's technically dead already."  
"Not physically, but he could hurt himself mentally and emotionally and push himself away from you again."

"Why do you always have to be right?"  
"I'm your father, it's my job. I'm leaving now, so you go talk to him." 

Dad got up from the table and grabbed his keys, leaving me and Kura alone in the house. I got up and walked into the living room and sat on the edge of the couch.

"Something wrong Kura?"

"Iie, everything is fine."

"Don't lie to me."

"Don't worry about it Ryou."

/Would you prefer it if we spoke like this? I know no one else can hear us./

//I'm just trying to figure some things out and forget others, that's all.//

/Bad memories again?/

//....//

/Kura talk to me./

// Well...ah forget it.//

/Bakura.../

"Do something for me, explain those." My aibou pointed to the mantle, indicating the stocking that hung there.

"Nani?"

"The giant socks hanging there aibou."

I laughed a little, "Oh those. Those are stockings. You put presents in those."

He raised an eyebrow. "I thought that's what the tree was for."

"Well, you put smaller gifts in stockings. Or you just put things in there when you get tired of wrapping."

"Oh."

"Ummm, well, dad said you were out here looking at them last night."

He sighed, "Really? Can't I get a moments peace around here?"

"Only in the bathroom."

Bakura got up and started walking off.

"Where are you going?"

"The bathroom."

"No Kura! I don't want you to pull away."

"Nani? Is that what you think I'm doing?"

"Hai, you've just been acting weird lately."

"I've just been having my own problems."

"Well your problems are my problems Kura."

"They don't have to be so don't make them."

I sighed. "Well you don't need to have these problems. I know what's wrong, you feel left out. Now what kind of aibou would I be if I forgot about you? Don't move from that spot Kura!" I went to my room, leaving my aibou where he stood. I rifled through my desk, and pulled out Bakura's stocking that I made for him the week before. It was going to be a surprise for him on Christmas Day, but now seems like a better time. I walked back out to my aibou.

"You know Bakura, it really hurts."

"Uh what does?"

"That you think that I would be such a bad aibou and forget about my favorite yami."

"I'm you're only yami last time I checked."

"Exactly. Close your eyes."

"Uh why?"

"Just do it!"

"Fine, fine you don't have to yell, you pissy hikari."

I went to the mantle and tacked up his stocking to the left of my dad's. "Okay you can open them now." 

Kura opened his eyes and smiled, stepping closer to the mantle. He looked over to me, still smiling. "Arigato aibou."

"See, I didn't forget you. I made that for you earlier."

He reached over, ruffling my hair. "Hai, it is foolish of me to think like that isn't it? Gomen, if I hurt your feelings."

"Oh it's okay."

"So why isn't mine after yours?"

"You're old."

"I beg your pardon?"

I chuckled a bit. "They go in order from oldest to youngest, and well you're three thousand and something odd years old so you get the honor of being first."

"I don't know whether to be insulted or something else."

"Just enjoy it. Hey aibou guess what."

"Nani?"

"Come close."

He leaned down a bit next to me and I got close to his ear, taking a big breath.

"Three days until Christmas!"

"Ow..."

"Come on now, you didn't eat breakfast."

%%%%%%%%(Christmas Day)%%%%%%%%

Bakura's POV

Mmmm stop tugging ...we'll go on that raid tomorrow night..."

"Kura get up."

"Go away!"

"Get up!"

I sit up, rubbing at my eyes. "By the Gods, what time is it?"

"Five seventeen"

"Kuso." 

"Well come on and get up. We have presents to open."

I closed my eyes, flopping back down into the pillows and pulled my covers over my head. "Too early."

He tugged at me again, "Come on, you used to get up before dawn all the time."  
"Only to dress my wounds from my Master's previous beating on me. Nowadays I like to sleep in."

"Iie, you're just lazy."

"Comfortable."

"Lazy."

My wicked little aibou grabbed the edge of my comforters, yanking them off of me. I opened my eyes half way, seeing him standing there with his arms crossed.

"That's not cool Ryou."

He shrugged his shoulders at me. "So?"

I sat up, stretching. " Alright, alright I'm up."

%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%%

Presents had long been opened, now Ryou and I were cleaning up the wrapping paper and such. His father had rushed out afterwards, he was called into his Domino stationed office, he said it was important. Ryou was on his hands and knees, crawling around the tree, picking up the scraps that I had missed.

"Hey Kura, look you missed one of your presents." He stood up, handing me the brightly wrapped square.

"Why do I have so many presents again?"

"Don't complain. Open it."

I peeled back the layers of paper, revealing a picture frame. I flipped it over only to smile at the picture that was in the frame. I remember this picture being taken, the one of me Ryou and his father. Hai, a few weeks ago, when his father first came home. 

"I guess dad was just in such a hurry that we forgot about that one. Anyway me and dad wanted to give you something special, so we came up with this. It's your family."

"My family..."

"I know we're not your real family but-"

"Hai, you are. Arigato Ryou. By the way."

"Hai?"

"I still have something for you too. I didn't get time to wrap it or anything. Stay here."

I walked back to my room, opening my bedside table drawer and pulled out the thing I had picked out for Ryou. I returned to him, handing it to him.

"Kura, where did you get this?"

"It's straight out of Ancient Egypt."

He held up the golden ankh on it's golden chain, inspecting it.

"From Ancient Egypt?"  
"Hai, it used to me mine, my mother gave it to me when I was little...she said it was to protect me."

"Kura...I can't take this, it was from your mother."

"Iie, I want you to have it. You're growing up Ryou, and soon...you won't need me around anymore. So maybe this will protect you when I'm gone too."

"Kura! You're not supposed to make me cry on Christmas!"

"Uh, um gomen aibou?"  
"I'm just playing with ya. Arigato Kura.

Sure, I thought that he would think it was kinda corny, but he put it on right then and there, looking up at me with one of those big hikari smiles then tightly hugging me.

"Don't worry Kura, you won't be going anywhere anytime soon."

%%%%%%%%%%%( And on to New Years...)%%%%%%%%%%

Ryou's POV

So New Years rolled around. Me, Kura, and Dad were all on the roof of the house, watching a fireworks display that was going on. Kura was totally entranced by them. I looked over to my dad, nudging him with my elbow.

"Hai Ryou?"

"Dad, did they have fireworks back in Egypt?"

"Not in Bakura's time. Back then they mostly had their festivals during the day." He looked over to Kura. "Doesn't surprise me that he's so absorbed in watching them."

I looked back up to the sky, leaning back on my hands and watched the different colors explode and fizzle out. I wonder what aibou thinks they are...I didn't tell him on purpose.

/Aibou?/

//Hai hikari?//

/Tell me what you're going to call them./

//Huh? Oh no, we're not playing that game.//

/What game?/

//The one where I say something stupid and you laugh.//

/I won't laugh. Come on, tell me./

//Promise you won't.//

/ I won't laugh, that's an aibou promise./

//Burning sky flowers.//

I smile to myself

/Yup, you're right Kura./

//I am?//

/Hai aibou...burning sky flowers. Happy New Years aibou./

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura: The hell?

Tsuki: I was going for kawaii and junk. 

Neko: Hai, she did a good job.

Tsuki: I did?!?!

Neko: *pet pet* Who's the kawaiiest hikari huh?

Tsuki: Me! Memememememe!

Bakura: Must you indulge it?!?!

Neko: To piss you off? Hai I must.

Yami: How come I can't be mean to him too?

Neko: Cause it's my job Yami dear, and you're supposed to be Tsuki's and Bakura's friend.

Tsuki: *latch to Yami's leg* Yami Yami!

Ryou: Look, she likes you.

Yami: *pet pet Tsuki* hai that's nice, please remove yourself from my extremity.

Tsuki: *blink blink* Aibou! Yami used a big word!

Yugi: *kicks Yami in the shin* Aibou!

Yami: I hate you all! *walks off*

Bakura: See now you know how I feel every Ra damned day! *walks off*

Neko: I win... R and R guys, for the Game **Queen** says so. ^_^


	10. Reminisce in the Darkness

Tsuki: Final chapter! I feel so accomplished. ^_^

Bakura: I feel so relieved

Tsuki: Hush, anyway, this entire chapter is in Bakura's POV, even the flashbacks and well we flashback a lot. It also refers to the two previous stories of Telling Dad, and Feel What He Feels. Get some snacks and a big drink.

*^*^*^*^= Flashback

^^^^^^^^= A time difference within the same flashback or flashback time period

__

This= Bakura's thought on the flashback

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Bakura's POV

I sat in the darkness, knees pulled up to my chest. I sigh, staring into the shadows. Damn shadows. Ryou had long ago died, so had Yugi and the others. Hell I even miss the damn Pharaoh. I'd been sealed back into the Millennium Ring, into this cold. How long has it been now? I stopped counting after the first sixty-seven years. There was no point in keeping track anymore. I long to see the sun, to talk with another person, to see Ryou smile. I close my eyes, trying to recall that smile.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"I don't hate you. Gomen nasai.... for hurting you hikari, I was only....scared."

"Of me?"

"Hai of you."

"Why?"

"I was afraid you'd hurt me. You know the way I hurt you."

"I would never hurt you though."

"I know."

"So what happened to you....back in Egypt to make you afraid of me?"

"Gomen Ryou but I'm not ready to tell you that just yet. Besides you still have a decision to make."

Ryou slipped the ring over his head, letting it fall comfortably onto his chest.

"It's okay, I won't push the subject."

"So you've decided to keep me?"

Ryou laughed, smiling at me.

"Light needs darkness. 'Sides I figure we can train you."

"Well Ryou looks like I'll have to keep you happy from now on."

"Why?"

"I like it when you smile at me. When you're not scared of me."

We sat there for a minute, silence filling the room, taking in all that had just passed between us.

"What are you feeling Bakura?"

"What do you mean?"  
"The Ring doesn't feel so cold anymore." I smiled to myself.

" I'm just happy that you can look at me without being afraid."

"Bakura?"  
"Hai?"

"Are things really gonna be different? You promise that you won't hurt me anymore?"

"I promise hikari."

Ryou sighed, putting his hand on my shoulder.

"Does this mean we can be like Yugi and Yami now?"

I smiled, reaching over and gently ruffling Ryou's hair.

" If that's the way you want it....my aibou."

__

My aibou....

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

That was the first time. Ryou never smiled at me before then. Before then it was nothing but pain and torture, mental and physical abuse. He was merely my anger vent, a place to cast my fear upon.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

// Poor baby, what's wrong now? Scared of what daddy might think? //

/Stop it! /

//You think I'd listen to you weakling? //

/ Can't you just leave me be right now? /

// Are you challenging my authority over you Ryou? //

Ryou stopped the conversation as he received a mental slap from me. I was angry enough as it was, Ryou obviously didn't want to provoke me into coming out.

/ I'm, I'm sorry/

//There that's a good slave. //

Degrading him.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Because you have two bruises on your face, your arm is bleeding, and you probably have even more injuries that aren't visible to me."

//He's good. //

/Shut up Yami. //

//What was that brat!?//

Ryou stiffened as I growled at him and saw a mental flash of my knife in the back of his mind.

/ N-nothing Yami, I'm sorry for getting out of line. /

// You better be. //

Fear.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I turned around walking out the house, slamming the door behind me.

/ How could you do that?! Let me out of here! My dad's hurt! /

//Hmmm, just for that little outburst of yours I think I'll have to teach you a lesson later on tonight. //

/No please not again. I can't take anymore. Haven't you beaten me enough for today? /

// No. And I'll do it if I like. You want to know why? Because brat I have power over you and anything else I'll ever want. //

Continually breaking his spirit.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I was so blind to the fact of exactly how much I was hurting him, I wasn't even realizing I was hurting myself too. I had always wanted acceptance. Craved it. Yet I kept him away, instilled fear into him, made him regret even slightly challenging me. It finally too Yami, a spell, and a suicide attempt to get me to see the truth.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

//Well look who's awake. //

/What are you doing? /

//That's none of your concern//

/ But it's my body! /

//Hmmm. Someone needs an attitude adjustment. // 

Next thing Ryou knew he found himself standing in front of me and holding his cheek from where I had swiftly smacked him across the face.

I was the one who needed the attitude adjustment.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

" Well my yami is out and on the -" Ryou was cut of mid-sentence as I roughly shoved him aside and Yugi found himself under my icy glare. 

"Well if it isn't the Pharaoh's little light. Come on in." 

" You knew he was coming didn't you brat?"

" W-well I-"

" Spit it out brat!"

"I-I"

Yugi tensed as he saw my hand ball up into a fist at my side.

"Now brat what did I tell you about lying to me? Especially when you know what I'd do."

"......"

Yugi stepped in front of Ryou, taking the punch that I had intended for Ryou.

"Well how brave of you Yugi, but a mistake you'll regret!" Yugi closed his eyes as I grabbed him by his collar. 

"Bakura don't!" I glared over at Ryou and swiftly grabbed him by his hair.

"Don't do what brat! This?" Yugi cried out in pain as I roughly threw him to the floor and kicked him in the stomach.

"Yugi!"

"Like you could stop me Ryou."

__

Even his friends were at my mercy, and he was willing to stand up to me to help Yugi.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Very well then." Yami closed his eyes, his Sennen eye glowing on his forehead. "We'll have to do it this way." 

I put a hand up to my cheek as I felt a burning sensation. I threw Ryou to the floor, realizing it was one of the exact places I'd hit Ryou in earlier. "What are you doing to me!?" 

"This what he feels, and you're the one who causes it. Of course this is only the pain he feels on your 'good' days."

__

A curse to me then, a blessing now that I look back at it.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I locked the front door as the Ring glowed and Ryou materialized behind me. I sighed and turned, backhanding Ryou across the face, feeling the sting of pain in my own cheek but dismissing it. 

"That was for running off with that damn Pharaoh. You always disobey me, thus why I punish you. Why are you always making me be the bad guy Ryou? Why do you always make me punish you?"

"......."

"Answer me brat!"

Ryou closed his eyes, summoning up the last bit of courage and resistance he had. 

"Because I hate you! I've always hated you! All you ever do is beat on me and tell me how weak I am!" Ryou opened his eyes, seeing the look on my face and immediately regretting what he'd just said.

" So that's it. You hate me. Good I hate you too!" I grabbed Ryou by his collar, slamming his head into the nearby wall. I quickly released him, my hand flying to the back of my own, feeling the blood there. I looked on the wall, seeing the blood from my hikari's smeared there. 

"Blood.You dare draw blood from me?"

"But I didn't!"

"Silence!" I raised his fist, smashing it into his face, and sending the young teen to the floor, as well as myself.

"What the fuck is going on! What did you do to me brat! Spill it or I spill your blood!"

"I didn't do anything, I swear it!"

"Don't lie to me brat!"

"Please! I didn't do anything! I don't know what happened to you when Yami took me away!"

"Yami....."

I stood up, quickly disappearing back into my soul room.

And I blamed him for that, though I now know that it was me.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

I stepped inside the house, immediately sensing that something was wrong. I looked around the dark house, seeing nothing out of place. I suddenly felt like he had been hit by a truck as a wave of pain and grief rushed over him. I shook his head clearing his vision and looked up towards the stairs.

"Ryou.....Ryou where are you? //Ryou what's going on? //

/...../

//Ryou? //

/...../

I started to walk towards the stairs, an image of glass and blood finding its way to my mind as I touched the railing.

"Oh no. Ryou!" I bolted up the stairs, taking them two by twos, trying to get to my hikari as fast as possible. I reached Ryou's room and kicked open the door, stopping dead in my tracks at the site before me. There on the bed lay his Ryou, his wrists and hands bleeding heavily, his millennium Ring in a pool of blood on the floor. 

"Ryou!" I ran over to the bed, kneeling down next to my hikari 

"What have you done? What have I done?" I grabbed a pillow, ripping off its case and ripped the case into strips, tying them around his wrists. I scooped my hikari up into my arms, running from the room and out the house to the only place I could think of. 

__

That terrible night, the image of him like that was to be carved into my memory forever. I never wanted to see him like that again.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

There was so much blood. I remember it being everywhere. Blood. I know it well, an old friend throughout my life. Ryou once asked me how I thought about blood without cringing from all that I knew about it. I don't know why he did. I told him that it was something that I wasn't really able to speak aloud, it just wouldn't come out. So he told me to write it down, and surprising even myself, I had. I remember how I wrote it, every word, it went something like:

__

A candy treat to the senses

Red, thick, metallic substance

Salty, sweet, sour salvation

Liquid fire, melted moonlight

Crimson river, life giving stream

Extremes in pleasure and pain

A splash of cold water

A breath of warm air

Flowing soft silk

Falling savory drops

Exotic spice, homeland comfort

Soft whisper, chilling scream

Shimmering crystal, shattered mirror

Scent that revolts, yet entices

Angel's betrayal, demon's loyalty

I had to stop there. I found it even too disturbing for myself to handle. I never showed Ryou, I had crumbled it up and threw it away. I think it would have upset him if I did. Still I never knew why he was so fascinated about my opinion of blood. Anyway, speaking of Ryou, he had been so forgiving about everything I'd done to him. 

I laugh, thinking about how much I've changed. A total three sixty as the others often described. What dumb luck I have, maybe I changed too much, I had forgotten Ryou was a mortal. Only a mortal. I had let myself get attached, and I knew that he would eventually die, knew that I would be in this damn prison again. I push aside my thoughts of self-pity and search through my memories, laughing to myself as I find one. Busch Gardens or whatever the hell that place was called. A day full of lessons.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

" Lesson number one Bakura, when you're out with mortals you have to act like one, lesson number two, good things come to those who wait."

__

The first one, I hated, the second, actually made sense.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

" Ice cream, **ice** cream, ice...not good...cold..."

"Hush Yami you're having some too." Yugi looked over his shoulder at me. "And don't think you can get away without any either."

"Okay then, what and how much do I have to steal so we can get this over with?" Ryou sighed, rolling his eyes.

"Lesson number three aibou, no stealing."

"But-"

"**Absolutely no** stealing, got it? You have to use money."

I blinked, clearly confused and looked over to Yami, who only blinked back, confused also. Ryou sighed as Yugi chuckled.

"Never mind, just don't steal anything okay."

"Why?"

"Cause if you get caught, you'll probably hit someone and end up in jail."

"Jail huh."

"Think my dark dank dungeons Tomb Raider."

"I know what jail is Pharaoh."

"Bedsides, Grandpa gave us more than enough money. What flavor you want Yami?"

"It comes in flavors?"

"Hai Yami, it comes in flavors."

"I'll just get what you're getting."

Ryou turned to me. "What do you want?"

"What the Pharaoh said."

So after spending more time in line we finally got their ice cream. Chocolate for Yugi and Yami, vanilla for Ryou and I, strawberry for Tristan, and for some strange reason they had Joey's favorite, pineapple. We all sat down with our food, four teenagers sat silently, spooning ice cream into their mouths. Yami and me on the other hand, sat staring at ours.

"It's cold."

"It's sticky."

"It comes in flavors."

"It requires utensil usage."

We looked at each other clearly not liking the idea of ice cream.

"Would you two just eat it?"

"It's cold." They said in unison, instantly followed by a death glare between them.

"Ha! Bet ya they're scared."

Death glares were instantly turned on the blonde. Tristan scooted away from him, just waiting for the inevitable fight.

"Uh, Joey, I don't think that's a good idea."

"What it's true. They can't handle a little ice cream."

Just to prove ourselves, Yami and I picked up our spoons, each shoving a huge spoonful into our mouths. Unfortunately no one told us that ice cream is better when **not** chewed.

"Holy fucking Ra! Shit, fuck, damn that's fucking cold!"

"Damn, damn, damn, shit , shit , shit, cold, evil, damn it to the underworld!"

"Bakura! Yami! Don't cuss so loud! You'll get us in trouble with security!"

By this time Yami was pulling on his bangs, trying to get his brain freeze to stop while I had my head on the table, banging it every now and then, trying to relieve mine. Yugi looked at Ryou, the two instantly bursting out in laughter, soon joined by Joey and Tristan. I lifted his head and sat up leaning back in my chair.

"This is exactly why I don't eat. This. Right here."

"Gomen aibou, I should have told you that you're not supposed to chew it."

"You think you could have told us before we chewed it and I screwed up my hair!"

"Down Pharaoh."

"Shut up Tomb Raider!"

"Calm down Yami! Geez, I thought it was going to be Bakura that we had to worry about."

"Speaking of which, are you all right Bakura?"

"Ryou why must you continue torturing me?"

"I'm not trying to torture you Bakura, I'm just trying to show you some of the world. You have to take the good and the bad. Now calm down, onegai try not to make this a bad thing."

__

Okay, ice cream is off the list, and lesson three wasn't too appealing either.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Yami and I slid across the car's floor, our combined weight hitting the door and causing it to pop open, and us to go sliding out. 

Our hikari's jumped up, instantly grabbing us and yanked us back up into the car. As soon as we had our feet back up we latched onto the pole.

"I'm going to fucking kill you!....when we get on the ground.....I suggest you run...fast...very **very** fast...."

"I'm going to help!"

"Uhhh gomen?"

"Joey that was one of the stupidest things you have done in your life!"

"And you've done some pretty stupid things!"

"I thought you two were the nice ones."  
"Not when you mess with our aibous!"

"You're all moving too fucking much!"

"As Pharaoh and Game King I command you all to sit down and be still and quiet until this thing reaches the ground!"

They all quickly sat down, my string of Egyptian and Yami's Sennen eye signaling to them it was best to do as they were told. When we did reach our destination we practically jumped out and had to be restrained from killing Joey. After about five minutes we finally calmed down.

"Aibou are you going to be okay?"

"Hai, hai I'll be fine. I just need to sit down."

Ryou waved his hand in font of me, I was staring straight ahead, not moving at all.

"Ummm Bakura? Aibou? Are you okay?" My eye twitched and everyone took a step back.

"Right, why don't we all just sit down, and let Yami gain back his composure while Bakura clams himself down."

__

Now that was a frightening experience, I will never leave the ground again. Then again, I guess I'll never be out of here again.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Ryou walked up to the house but I remained on the sidewalk. 

"Aibou? Aren't you coming?"

"Gomen nasai Ryou. I didn't mean to ruin your day."

"Bakura it's not your fault."

"Don't tell me that. If I hadn't of pulled my knife the-" I stopped, taking my knife from my belt loops and shoved it in between the cracks of the sidewalk. I took my foot and kicked it hard, breaking the blade from its hilt. I picked up the pieces, walking over to Ryou and handing him the two parts.

"There aibou, now I can't hurt or even attempt to hurt anyone with this anymore. Forgive me?"

"I always have."

__

I believe that was the final straw, I was tired of hurting people, so I got rid of that knife, others didn't know how hard that had been for me.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

That day was...interesting. Acting mortal is hard, glad I'm not one anymore, too much work. I sigh, shifting my weight to keep my leg from falling asleep. My mood is darkened as I remember one of our bad times. I had promised him, and I had broken that promise.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I jolted up in bed, my eyes still closed, my mind still telling me that I was asleep, my body saying I wasn't. I could still feel that iron grip on my shoulders. I clenched my hand into a fist, throwing a punch out to my right. I froze as I heard the sickening sound of flesh hitting flesh, my mind finally awakening from it. I opened my eyes, and there in front of me sat Ryou, holding his right cheek with tears in his eyes that were threatening to fall.

I hit him. No I promised him! This can't be happening! 

I backed away from him, getting up from the bed.

"Y-you you hit m-me."

"Ryou I-I didn't mean to! I didn't know it was you!"

"B-but you p-promised you'd n-never-"

Hot tears had started to roll down his face, and it was because of me that he was crying. I took a step closer, reaching out for him. He only flinched away, giving me that look of pure fear. The look he used to give me when I would beat on him. I closed my eyes not able to stand that look any longer.

"Gomen nasai my aibou. I didn't mean to!"

I back out of the room, bolting down the stairs and out the door.

I broke my promise_......._

I was devastated by that, I thought I had lost his trust forever.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

But he forgave me again. Why? I don't know, he amazed me sometimes. It's hard to talk about him in past tense. But anyway, like I was saying, he was such a forgiving person. Maybe it was because he knew of my past, knew why I used to beat on him.

__

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

But if you did what you were told, that gave him no reason to hit you anymore."

"I know, I suppose it became a sort of game for him."

"You mean, he just beat on you for no reason?"

"No reason at all. Just like me."

"Don't say that."

I let my gaze wander up, staring at the stars blankly.

"Do you know hwy I used to beat on you Ryou?"

"Huh? Well, not exactly."

"Because I saw myself in you, the image of an innocent child. You made me angry when I looked at you, reminded me of everything about myself that I learned and been taught to hate."

"I'm sorry."

"Don't be, it was never your fault. When I beat on you, it was like I was beating on myself. Trying to rid that child of any weakness, any chance to feel pain and be afraid of it. I thought I could make you strong like I wasn't. I never realized that I was doing exactly what Zaran used to do to me."

__

Finally I had given him a reason for my actions.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I waited for that day for three thousand years, vowing to take out my pent up anger and rage on the first living thing I saw. I never thought what the consequence to that action may be. I didn't care at that point. That's why I regret so much what I did to you. I almost couldn't believe it when I saw that you looked just like I did as a child. I didn't want history to repeat itself. I never intended to do that to you Ryou, I just got so scared, and I wasn't afraid only for myself but for you also. That's exactly why I am the way I am, and I hate myself for it."

"I understand. Don't hate yourself, it was never truly your fault for being this way, well that's how I see it. I forgive you for hitting my earlier. It was mostly my fault."

"Arigato aibou, I don't know how you keep forgiving me but you do."

__

So understanding, so forgiving, how he did it, I'll never know.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Things seemed better, but they became worse. Ryou's father was added into the equation, only complicating things.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Uhhh hey dad, this is uhhh Yami Bakura."

"Y-you mean it's true? All the cuts, the bruises, it's all true?" He locked eyes with me, staring pure hate at me.

"Dad listen he do-"

"So what he's said is true, you are real and you're the one who tortures him and beats on him."

"But dad' it's not like that any-"

"Get your hands off of my son!"

I let go of Ryou and step back from him. I'm a bit shaken by his verbal assault, I know what I did was wrong, why does everyone have to rub it in? I stand there, unsure of how to respond. This man means business, and his business is with me. He clenches his fist and takes a step toward me. Next thing I know I'm on the floor, holding my cheek with Ryou kneeled down next to me. Being hit was a shock to me. I'd hadn't been hit in over three thousand years. I stood up, him watching my every move.

__

That man hated me with a passion. I know that hate, I've felt it many times before.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

How does he do that? Just great, not only was I caught, he thought I was Ryou. Well I don't want to bring up the subject of me yet so I decided to play along. Fortunately I could mimic Ryou's ' I just woke up and I'm still half asleep' voice. "Morning dad, I forgot you were home."

"Want something to eat?"

I don't eat... "Iie, iie I should really go change."

"You feeling okay son? I mean you slept in your clothes and everything."

I look down, noticing I'm already fully dressed. Well this just keeps getting better and better. " I-I was just tired that's all."

"Oh."

I turn, wanting to get out before Ryou comes down.

"Ryou, I know you're mad at me about this whole Yami Bakura thing, but I want you to get rid of that Millennium Ring for your own good. People who were abusive only stay abusive, they don't change."

I spun around quickly, my anger quickly getting the better of me. "Is that the only kind of person you can see me as?!"

"Yami Bakura?"

"You're not going to make this any easier for him are you!"

"What do you mean?"

"It's not about me! It's about Ryou!"

"Hell, of course it is, if you hadn't of hurt him in the first place then this wouldn't be about him! It would only be about you and you I can deal with!"

"Can't you just get past that already! If you want me to admit it then fine! I was wrong for hurting Ryou! You're the one who can't seem to accept the fact that I don't do that anymore! I would never hurt him again! Besides you're the one who didn't believe him when he told you I was hurting him! What kind of father are you?! You could have stopped me!"

"You son of a bitch!"

__

I wonder if I was ever this difficult to deal with at times when Yami was trying to get it through my head that I shouldn't of been hurting Ryou, probably so.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Finally we found common ground though, we both cared for Ryou. But he was angry at his father for hurting me and I had to explain a few things to my aibou. Like why not to be angry with his father, why not to take my side. It was hard for me, yet so easy at the same time.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"You should be glad that he cares for you my hikari."

"Why do you say that?"

"My father never cared about me."

"I though you didn't know your father."

"I knew who he was, but I didn't **know** him. In fact...I killed my own father."

Ryou looked at him in disbelief and I had to cover my mouth from letting out an audible gasp.

"Why?!"

"He used to come around sometimes, he would hit my mother, he would hit me, and I guess one day I just had too much, so I killed him. I slight his throat. How old was I? I don't know, maybe about six. That's why I say you're lucky. Your father cares for you, he loves you. You shouldn't fight with him because he's angry with me, or take my side because you feel obligated to."

"I-I don't feel obligated to. I care for you just as much as I care about dad. He just happens to be the wrong one this time."

"He's not wrong. I can understand why he has trouble understanding why you care. I mean look at the type of person was. Don't push this issue with him my hikari, and don't push him away either."

"But why? Why are you defending him? He beat the shit out of you and you're defending him, I don't understand."

__

Of course he didn't understand. I didn't understand myself. Maybe I just didn't want to make his life worse by ruining the relationship he had with is father. After all, I'd done enough damage.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Uh, Yami Bakura first off, I'd like to know...why didn't you fight back?"

I reached out for Ryou, ruffling my aibou's hair gently. "Ryou doesn't want me hurting anyone, and I'll do whatever he asks if it keeps him happy."

Ryou's father smiled slightly and extend my hand to me. "Second, I'd like to apologize for what I did to you, forgive me?"

I took his hand, giving him a slight smile. "If there's anything I've learned from Ryou, it's forgiving people for the bad they've done."

"Arigato."

__

A break through for me. I still stand by that lesson, I only wish I had told Ryou exactly how much he helped me, but now I can't, can I?

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

I believe that whole thing made me more tolerant of people, and for Ryou's sake, I let the world in beyond the walls I had so painstakingly erected. I went places with him and his friends. Called them by their first names even. Pharaoh's hikari became Yugi, Pharaoh became Yami, from Idiot One and Two to Joey and Tristan. I even joined in with their fun. Ryou was happier than ever. I believe I was too. A smile graced my features so often back then. Ryou was the little brother I never had. He even nicknamed me like family members often do. I went from Yami Bakura, to Bakura, to just simply Kura.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

"Why am I coming with you again? They're your friends, not mine."

He sighed, shaking his head. "Why don't you like them?"

"Because they don't like me."

"That's a stupid excuse, and they do like you."

I shoved my hands in my pockets, an annoyed expression on my face as we walked.

__

Right, so I wasn't too ecstatic about the idea, but I grew to accept them.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Iie, it's all right, I understand Kura."

I stopped, looking at him strangely. "What did you just call me?"

"I called you Bakura, it's either that or aibou. What else would I call you?"

I reached out and put my hand on my shoulder, stopping him. "Iie, you called me Kura."

He bit his bottom lip slightly, his hands fidgeting with the Ring. "I-is it wrong that I called you that?"

I smiled at him, then put my hands in my pockets and continued to walk. He continued after me, noticing my somewhat spaced out expression. 

"A-aibou? Daijobu ka?"

"Daijobu hikari. I was just...remembering."

"About?"

I smiled a little. "Back in Egypt, when I was really little, maybe about three years old, my mother and my friends called me Kura. I even referred to myself as Kura."

"W-well if it makes you sad, t-then I won't call you that."

"Iie, iie I like being called Kura, I guess it sort of makes me feel secure in a way. If that's what you want to call me, well then go ahead. And onegai don't be nervous about it."

"Nervous? W-ho says I'm n-nervous?"

"You're stuttering, you do that when you get nervous or scared. I guess it's a normal reaction around me by now."

"Iie, it's not. So what were you like as a kid?"

__

Kura...that's what he started to call me. It comforted me, made me feel safe.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Things went rather smoothly for the both of us. He felt safe and I felt accepted. Little did I know how much he had in store for me. A whole list of holidays, of things I couldn't understand. Christmas, and New Year's…are foremost in my mind though.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Oh but I can't resist my aibou...even if it means going back out into the frozen rain of death! Why? Because I can't even win against him. So there we were standing in a place full of trees, staring at them.

"How's this one?"

"It doesn't have strong branches."

I growled to myself. "What about that one?"

"It's not full enough in the back."

"Who looks at the back Ryou?"

"I will."

I crossed my arms as he walked up to yet another Ra forsaken tree. "This one is good."

"It looks exactly like the last three!"

"It has to be perfect Kura."

"Why Ryou?"

"Because dad is here and it's my first Christmas with you."

He looked up at me with his big brown eyes. Now how can I resist that? I put my hand on his shoulder and smiled.

"Okay aibou, if that's the one you want."

__

Everything had to be perfect for him. And I wanted to make each of his next Christmases perfect too…and I always did from then on.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Presents had long been opened, now Ryou and I were cleaning up the wrapping paper and such. His father had rushed out afterwards, he was called into his Domino stationed office, he said it was important. Ryou was on his hands and knees, crawling around the tree, picking up the scraps that I had missed.

"Hey Kura, look you missed one of your presents." He stood up, handing me the brightly wrapped square.

"Why do I have so many presents again?"

"Don't complain. Open it."

I peeled back the layers of paper, revealing a picture frame. I flipped it over only to smile at the picture that was in the frame. I remember this picture being taken, the one of me Ryou and his father. Hai, a few weeks ago, when his father first came home. 

"I guess dad was just in such a hurry that we forgot about that one. Anyway me and dad wanted to give you something special, so we came up with this. It's your family."

"My family..."

"I know we're not your real family but-"

"Hai, you are. Arigato Ryou. By the way."

"Hai?"

"I still have something for you too. I didn't get time to wrap it or anything. Stay here."

I walked back to my room, opening my bedside table drawer and pulled out the thing I had picked out for Ryou. I returned to him, handing it to him.

"Kura, where did you get this?"

"It's straight out of Ancient Egypt."

He held up the golden ankh on it's golden chain, inspecting it.

"From Ancient Egypt?"  
"Hai, it used to me mine, my mother gave it to me when I was little...she said it was to protect me."

"Kura...I can't take this, it was from your mother."

"Iie, I want you to have it. You're growing up Ryou, and soon...you won't need me around anymore. So maybe this will protect you when I'm gone too."

"Kura! You're not supposed to make me cry on Christmas!"

"Uh, um gomen aibou?"  
"I'm just playing with ya. Arigato Kura.

__

So I guess with those two things, me and Ryou became truly a part of one another's families, and why not? After all he is…well was the other half of my soul…

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

/Aibou?/

//Hai hikari?//

/Tell me what you're going to call them./

//Huh? Oh no, we're not playing that game.//

/What game?/

//The one where I say something stupid and you laugh.//

/I won't laugh. Come on, tell me./

//Promise you won't.//

/ I won't laugh, that's an aibou promise./

//Burning sky flowers.//

I smile to myself

/Yup, you're right Kura./

//I am?//

/Hai aibou...burning sky flowers. Happy New Years aibou./

__

Only later did I find out that they were actually called fireworks. Though from the time I called them burning sky flowers, Ryou did too…that's how he even described them to his children when they saw them for the first time.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

It's so hard to talk about him like that. Well I couldn't hold onto him forever. And as people tend to do, Ryou grew up. We stayed close, him often asking me for advice. It was strange at times, and depressing really, him being older physically than me and I younger looking but the elder of us, being over three thousand and all. 

Hai, he grew up, got married, had a family. What happened to me? He tried to keep me involved, tried to pass me off as "Uncle" Bakura…but when you don't physically age, that part can only be played for so long. So eventually "Uncle" Bakura had "moved to Okinawa" and he never came back.

Really, I stayed in my soul room more often. If I wanted to be out I stayed up in the attic. Eventually I didn't come out anymore. And if I did, it was because Ryou wanted to talk to me and that was only behind the privacy of closed and locked doors.

I remember the day he died, the exact moment. 

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

/You'll miss me won't you?/

//Of course I will, how could I forget you?//

/Gomen../

//For what?//

/I know that you'll be sealed into the Ring again…/

//Hey, I've had my second chance at life. I enjoyed it, I'll be fine.//

/I'll miss you too Kura…goodbye./

//Goodbye my aibou.//

And that was it, our link went silent, and darkness surrounded me.

*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*

Shadi had come for the Ring then, and it's been in his possession ever since. he's been keeping it safe…And I hate him for it. I have always hoped that the Ring would be destroyed since that day, that I would simply cease to exist. But the damn guardian of the items will never let them be destroyed. He visits every so often, just to torture me with the past., to remind me that I'll be locked in this darkness forever, that he'll never let the Ring be destroyed.

A familiar flash of light in the darkness signals that Shadi's come for another visit. I stand as he approaches and turn my back on him. "I take it you're not pleased to see me thief."

"Have I ever been? Thanks to you I'm stuck here for all of eternity."

"You had your second taste of life, wasn't that enough?"

"If I knew I was going to feel this way...I would have passed up the offer."

"What do you mean?"

"I had forgotten how hard it is to lose everything. All in a matter of minutes, for the second time, I've lost everything I hold dear, except this time I lost my aibou, a part of myself, as well. Tell me Shadi have you been counting the years as well?"

"You're bitter then? How truly sad, I had hoped you'd be satisfied by now so I could leave you in this darkness."

"What are you talking about? On second thought don't tell me, I'm sick of talking to you."

"I'll take me leave then, but before I go, I have a message from your other."

"F-from Ryou?"

"He said, he's waiting for you."

"Waiting for me?"

"One soul split into the properties of light and darkness, good and evil, but one soul none the less. I release you Darkness, you are no longer prisoner of the Ring."

Shadi vanished, as well as the darkness. It melted from around me, leaving me standing in a never ending white nothingness. Footsteps…I can hear footsteps. I turn around, seeing a familiar figure walking towards me.

"A-aibou?" 

He merely stopped about three feet from me and smiled. He looked fifteen again, specifically around the time that I made peace with him, that I stopped hurting him.

I took a step back, shaking my head to clear if of this illusion. I've been imprisoned too long, I'm going crazy, this isn't happening. But…he didn't go away like I hoped. And now, I didn't know whether to hug him, or run from him.

"Hello aibou."

"This can't be happening."

He chuckled softly. "Well it is."

"Iie, it can't be, you're dead."

"But it is." He took a few steps towards me and reached out, placing his hand on my shoulder. "See."

"How?"

"By the Ring that binds us my yami, by the Ring that binds us. We're one you and I. It's only right that our soul be returned to whole." He backed up a step. "Come on Kura, you don't have to be alone or in the darkness anymore." He took hold of my hand, leading me off into this vast expanse.

And I won't be alone anymore now, I have my aibou back. He was right. We were what we were. Light and Darkness. Two halves of one soul, bound by the Ring.

~Owari~

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Tsuki: *bows* Arigato.

Neko: I'm impressed aibou, you used big words and evr- Bakura? Are you crying?

Bakura: *wiping at his eyes* Iie, I just have something in them, dirt or something that's all.

Yami: Iie, he's crying.

Bakura: It was sad okay!?

Ryou: *hugs Bakura* Sore okie aibou

Yugi: *hands Bakura a tissue*

Tsuki: Well guys hope you liked it! Review!

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